308 NATURE SKETCHES IN TEMPERATE AMERICA 

 The Birds and Squirrels' Assemblage Ground 



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F one were to ask 

 what tree was the 

 most attractive to 

 birds, ahnost the 

 first thought is the 



• mulberry tree. Aside 



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from the apple orchard, the presence 

 of one or more of these valuable trees is a 

 great invitation in fruiting time to the birds and 

 squirrels. One summer a kingbird passed back and 

 forth before our veranda, making constant visits to the 



mulberry tree. Here was often gathered an assemblage of 



birds from every quarter of the 

 grounds. The branches were fairly 

 weighed down by the avian visitors 

 as they got out on the small branches 

 to pick the luscious berries from the 

 stems. To enumerate the species 

 witnessed one day: Besides the 

 kingbird above mentioned, there 

 were four goldfinches, the first in 



point of numbers; two robins, three 



catbirds, and two waxwings. The 



kingbird remained long enough to 



partake of a few berries to satisfy his 



hunger, then, selecting a choice one 



in his bill, he flew to his nest in a 



nearby elm tree to feed his young. 



The bluebirds were also seen feeding 



on these berries, and a pair on our 



grounds made frequent journeys to one of these trees, carrying 



