BIRD BIOGRAPHIES 



the tree-limit of Alaska and Canada southward to 

 northern United States, — northern Minnesota, central 

 Michigan, Maine, the mountains of New York, Penn- 

 sylvania, and Massachusetts; winters throughout east- 

 ern United States and southern Canada to the Gulf 

 Coast. 



The Carolina Junco, nesting in the southern Appa- 

 lachian mountains, is a subspecies, differing but very 

 slightly in color. 



J UNCOS are gentle, attractive little creatures that come 

 to our thickets when the chill of autumn has driven 

 away our insectivorous birds. Being seed-eaters, they do 

 not fear winter snows, except those that cover tall weeds. 

 According to Professor Beal, juncos should be rigidly pro- 

 tected. They not only destroy large quantities of weed 

 seeds, thereby rendering service to agriculture, but they 

 eat harmful insects, of which caterpillars are their favorite. 

 They do no damage to fruit or grain.^ 



Mr. Forbush writes of the junco as follows: "The 

 Snowbird does not often breed in Massachusetts, excepting 

 on the higher lands of the north-central and western parts 

 of the State. Pairs are said to nest occasionally in ice- 

 houses, which are certainly cool, if not suitable situations. 

 It is a bird of the Canadian fauna, and it winters in Mas- 

 sachusetts whenever conditions are favorable. In the 

 southeastern portion of the State, where the ground is 

 bare in sheltered places through much of the winter, or 

 where weed seed, chaff, and other food can be secured, 

 this bird is common in the colder months. Its notes at this 

 season are chiefly sparrow like chirps. 



1 Farmers' Bulletin 506, Biological Survey, U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture. 



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