362 Junior Naturalist Monthly. 



ries of poison ivy, cranberries, black alder, dogwood, and wild grapes. 

 A'uts, as acorns. Buds of trees, particularly those of the apple, ironwood, 

 birch, and poplar. They also eat mushrooms, grains, insects, spiders, 

 mice, eggs and young of many insects, and some of the larger birds eat 

 rabbits, squirrels and poultry. Then you remember that old Jim Crow, 

 as well as other birds, eats corn, and some birds will attack ripening fruit 

 and garden vegetables. 



As you look over this list, you will see that if all the birds stayed 

 with us in the winter time, they would have great difficulty in finding 

 food ; particularly those birds that feed largely on insects. What would 

 the flicker do in winter for the ant-hill that you find him haunting in the 

 summer time ? How long do you think a flycatcher would sit on a tele- 

 graph pole before an insect in passing would give him an opportunity to 

 get something for his dinner? And what would the birds do that feed on 

 worms, caterpillars, and butterflies? 



No, large numbers of birds leave us in winter ; yet there are a few 

 that brave the cold weather, and by their industry and by adapting them- 

 selves to the kind of food that can be found in winter fields and woods, 

 they are able to stay with us. How fortunate we are to have them ! Who 

 would be without the downy w'oodpecker, the busy nuthatch, or the cheery 

 chickadee ? Who would permit one of these little birds to go hungry out- 

 side his window if he could help it to get food? These are questions for 

 young naturalists to consider these cold days, and to decide what they can 

 do to help the little out-door brothers. 



For many yezTS we have asked Junior Naturalists to have a Christ- 

 mas tree for the birds. We hope that as each year comes round, boys 

 and girls will enjoy furnishing one for the winter neighbors and give 

 them a feast day occasionally. 



Winter birds often become tame and will come verv near to vour 

 window for something to eat. The woodpecker, nuthatch, and chickadee 

 are able to stay in our climate during the winter because they eat the 

 eggs, larvse, and pupae of insects that are found beneath the bark of trees. 

 They seem to like quite as well as this their natural food, a piece of suet 

 fastened to a tree by some thoughtful naturalist. This gives the little 

 bird a chance to get something good to eat on a cold day, and gives the 

 Junior Naturalist a chance to study the bird near at hand. For the seed- 

 eaters, it will be well to furnish some grain or seeds of weeds which can 

 still be found above the snow. Occasionally you might hang out a bone 

 that has a little meat on it and put some seeds in a basket so that they 

 will not blow away. These will be thoughtful attentions which T am sure 

 the birds will appreciate. Keep a record of every bird that visits you and 

 see each time whether you can learn something new of its appearance or 

 ways. 



