THE VEGETABLE FOOD OF BIRDS. 35 



l)()iiit of view. Aiiioug tlie many kinds of fruit produced by 

 tliis family tlie cherries are most important, as they are eaten 

 by all birds accustomed to taking fruit of any sort and are to 

 \)r had in unliniited (piantity (hiring more than two montlis 

 in ttie year. 



The wild red clierry, whicii is the tirst t<j ripen, is least 

 esteemed, thougli cedar-birds appear to find it (juite satisfac- 

 lury. Birds in general, however, eat these far jnore sparingly 

 than th(^y do the later A^arieties. Choke-(;hcrries and black 

 cherries form an a|)preciable percentage of the food of cedar- 

 hirds, thrushes, orioles, jays, crows, and grouse from the lime 

 I he first choke-clierries begin to grow brown in nndsunnner 

 until the rains and frosts of autunni have despoiled the black- 

 cherry trees of the last of tlieir shining loads. Grackles, fiy- 

 catchers, s})arrows, woodpeckers, and pigeons assist to a lim- 

 ited extent, but cedar-birds and robins are the most i)ersistent 

 devourers, with the fiicker a close follower. Tlie large num- 

 bers of cherries consumed as well as tlie variety of birds 

 involved doubtless depend somewhat on the fact that cherry- 

 tnM'S grow in all sorts of places. The shy grouse and the 

 woodland thrushes, cat-birds, and tlirashers are able to get 

 })lenly of them without being exposed to the dangers of open 

 ground; wliile the familiar robins and cedar-birds, which i)re- 

 fer cleared land, find all they want by road-sides and pasture 

 fences. 



Wild strawberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all dear 

 lo the avian palah'. The first are not so largely eaten as the 

 other two, for the reason tliat many birds which undoubtedly 

 relish them do not like to hunt for them in the grass. Rasp- 

 berries and blackberries are available to a larger number. 

 Cat-birds, brown thrashers, and sparrows are at home in a 

 l)rier patch and enjoy the fruits thereof. TIk' ruHed grouse 

 makes a regular practice of living in blackberry Ihickels while 

 the fruit is on the vines and during that time feeds upon little 

 else. The runinng blackberries, or dewberries, near the coast 



