24 Forestry Quarterly. 



and habitat, yet slower in their movements and more musical. 

 Strictly arboreal in habit, they find their food in crevices of the 

 bark and on under side of leaves. They are not plentiful, yet 

 per individual are great consumers of eggs and small insects. 

 The Adirondack region supports four species, viz., the Red-eyed, 

 White-eyed, Yellow-throated and Warbling Vireos. 



Sparrows and Firiches. — A large group of terrestrial birds with 

 short conical bills which are specially adapted for crushing seeds. 

 Although subsisting largely on a vegetable diet, they, neverthe- 

 less, vary it with many insect forms, especially the ants, bugs 

 and spiders found on or near the ground. In a farming country 

 or near forest nurseries this family of birds deserves protection 

 because of the vast quantity of noxious weed seeds they destroy. 

 (But also of tree seeds, so that their usefulness is questionable. 

 — [Ed.) Many of them, too, are in the first rank as song birds. 

 The species seen in the woods and clearings of the Adirondacks 

 are as follows : Of the sparrows proper the Song, Fox, W^hite- 

 throated, White-crowned, Chipping and Vesper were noted. In 

 addition the Junco, Goldfinch, Purple Finch, Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak, Indian Bunting and Scarlet Tanager were seen. 



Thrushes and Blue Birds. — A family of woodland birds whose 

 sweet voices and expressive song have made them known and 

 beloved by all who appreciate bird melody. Usually few in 

 numbers and subsisting on a combined insect and vegetable diet 

 their greatest value lies in the restful, uplifting influence of their 

 song. The species recorded were the Wilson, Wood and Hermit 

 Thrush and the Robin and Bluebird. 



Blackbirds, Orioles, etc. — We now come to a group whose direct 

 value to the forest is seemingly wanting, as their haunts are the 

 open fields and marshes, and their food a varied collection in 

 which insects form an unimportant part. The representative 

 species are the Red-winged Blackbird, Rusty Grackle, Bob-o-link 

 and Baltimore Oriole. Seemingly rather an incongruous combi- 

 nation, but scientifically all one family. 



Fly-catchers. — A more important group than .several of the pre- 

 ceding. Living almo.st exclusively on an insect diet and existing 

 in considerable numbers, they destroy large numbers of the light- 

 winged insects, especially diptera. The Adirondack species are 

 the Kingbird, Wood Pewee, Phoebe and Least Fly-catcher. 



Thrashers and Wrens. — Seldom inhabitants of dense forests, 



