The Electric Current in Bird Photography 



89 



birds, White-throated Sparrows, 

 White-crowned Sparrows, Chip- 

 ping Sparrows, Swamp Spar- 

 rows and, most abundantly of 

 all, English Sparrows. Ninety 

 per cent of the seed put out 

 are eaten by these pests. Still, 

 I give them credit for leading 

 the way. It is their noisy feed- 

 ing that attracts any other bird 

 within hearing. I do not find 

 that they really keep the others 

 away; for most of the others 

 mentioned will eat with them 

 The Song Sparrow is more 

 belligerent than the English 

 Sparrow. I have seen a Song 

 Sparrow drive away three Eng- 

 lish Sparrows, attacking them 

 savagely. It is the usual thing 

 for the English Sparrow to give 

 way to the Song Sparrow. 



A third feeding-station is a 

 horizontal limb like the second, but mounted on gas-pipe, which is provided 

 with a large funnel, to keep down the squirrels. The food used is crumbs of 

 fried cakes, sunflower seeds, and other foods that the squirrels eat. The 

 numerous gray squirrels are given plenty to eat, but we prefer that it come 

 from some other place than here. Robins, Crackles, Scarlet Tanagers, and 



other birds, are fond of the doughnut 

 crumbs; Coldfinches and Nuthatches 

 eat the sunflower seeds. 



A fourth feeding-place is near a 

 stump in a ravine. The stick is bored 

 out and a hole about two and a half 

 inches deep by three inches long made. 

 The sides are lined with copper, and the 

 bottom covered with plaster of paris. 

 In this are placed meal worms. The 

 smooth sides prevent them from crawl- 

 ing out, and the white bottom makes 

 them conspicuous to the birds. This is 

 intended for Winter Wrens, Fox Spar- 

 soNG SPARROW rows, and Thrushes. It is always in the 



PURPLE MARTIN 



