i=;o 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-Xo. 10 



etc., — on the premises, where many 

 Snowbirds, Tree and Song Sparrows 

 spent their loafing time in winter, and 

 could be seen at any hour of the day, 

 while Finches and Linnets resorted to 

 some sunflower stalks, which had been 

 left standing for their especial benefit ; but 

 finally the practice was discontinued on 

 account of the " dog in the manger" 

 habits of the English Sparrows. 



The winter food of the Crows is mul- 

 titudinous, for they eat anything from 

 dead mice to acorns, and in severe weath- 

 er visit the tide waters of bays and rivers 

 by thousands, for crabs, clams, and any- 

 thing the sea may wash up. 



His gaily-dressed cousin, the Blue Jay, 

 also, I suspect, partakes, although perhaps 

 more sparingly, of the same varied bill of 

 fare, and it will be unnecessary for me to 

 refer at any length to the larder of the 

 various hawks and owls which " stay 

 through." 



Apropos the habit of the Butcher Bird 

 of hanging its victims about in conspicu- 

 ous places, the custom has its uses after 

 all, as the Chickadees, which are really 

 quite carniverous little chaps, often make 

 a dinner from the remains, and it was this 

 habit which suggested a plan for provid- 

 ing entertainment for them in the winter 

 garden parties which I used to give the 

 birds. My plan was to hang scraps of 

 pork rind and pieces of beef to the branch- 

 es of the trees and shrubs on the grounds, 

 and it was not long before all the Chicka- 

 dees and Kinglets found it out. The 

 Creepers and Nuthatchers sometimes 

 came, too, but only in the capacity of look- 

 ers on, and I never saw either touch the 

 meat, although the Nuthatchers would 

 sometimes take a bit of cracked corn. 



The Downy Woodpeckers would, how- 

 ever, eat the meat, but only in small quan- 

 tities and at long intervals. They are in- 

 quisitive birds, and seemed merely to try- 

 it to satisfy their curiosity. 



These Sapsuckers are very fond of 

 frozen fruit, however, and one year when 

 we had a few grapes and pears which 

 were frozen on the vines and trees, they 

 and the Flickers made quick work of 

 them, and even tried scratching about the 

 roots of the vines for fallen grapes. 



The Partridge Woodpecker is very fond 

 of nuts, and manages to secure a good 

 many of them even after the snow has 

 fallen, digging out of old stumps and from 

 under the bark of fallen trees. When 

 there is no snow, which is the greater part 

 of the winter here in eastern Massachu- 

 setts, he confines his operations mostly to 

 ant-hills, and manages to do considerable 

 execution, if the contents of his stomach 

 is to be relied upon. 



There is still another recourse, especi- 

 ally for insectiverous birds, which I have 

 as yet hardly mentioned. 



No inconsiderable portion, if not the 

 lion's share, of the food of Chickadees, 

 Creepers, Golden-crowned Wrens, and the 

 Nuthatchers consists of the minute eggs 

 and larvae of the various insects which de- 

 posit them, or frequent the bark of trees, 

 and which fall to the toils of these sharp- 

 eyed searchers. If one takes the trouble 

 to pull the bark off a decaying stump in 

 January, he will be in poor luck indeed if 

 there are not two or three kinds of ants, as 

 many species of beetles and icneumon, and 

 perhaps a newt or two, and in deciduous 

 growths snails are also to be found, all of 

 which are food for the multitude. 



In the woods the twin-berry (commonly 

 called "partridge berry") and the bright 

 red fruit of the winter-green or checker- 

 berry (known as box-berry and winter- 

 plum on Cape Cod) , furnishes food for 

 all, when they chance to be exposed, and 

 the Partridge (Ruffed Grouse) and Quail, 

 (Partridge) are very fond of them. The 

 former is an expert at collecting them by 

 burrowing under the snow, and I strongly 

 suspect that Bob White does the same. 



