BILL-OF-FARE OF CERTAIN BIRDS 



of the Dogrose, 3S lb.; Castor-oil seed, 17 lb.; Hornbeam 

 nuts, 27 lb.; Pine seed (various sorts), from 11 to 22 lb.; 

 Yew seeds, 16 lb.; Peas, 50 to 56 lb. In every case they 

 are not at all hurt by these pressures. 



As regards the animals for whom fruit or seeds are of 

 great importance, birds are of course the commonest. The 

 following is part of the bill-of-fare of a few of our common 

 birds : — Thrushes eat blaeberries (bilberries), brambles and 

 mulberries. Missel-thrush (or mavis) is especially fond of the 

 mistletoe. 



Now the berry of the mistletoe is exceedingly sticky and 

 glutinous, and in the course of the bird's meal these sticky 

 strings get on to the bill and feathers, so that the mavis 

 wipes its bill on the branch of a tree. When it does so the 

 seed becomes attached to the branch, and is drawn close to 

 the latter when the viscous matter dries up, and so takes 

 root on the branch. 



Nightingales and robins eat strawberries and elder-berries ; 

 blackbirds are very fond of strawberries, gooseberries, and 

 raspberries. Wood-pigeons eat beechmast, acorns, and, ac- 

 cording to Pliny, mistletoe-berries also, but this latter author 

 has not been confirmed by later observers. Some of the wild 

 African pigeons are exceedingly fond of castor-oil seeds. 

 When travelling through the Central African bush, it is 

 often necessary to shoot your dinner (if you are to have any 

 at all), and castor-oil bushes can be relied upon to produce 

 pigeons, if you are content with and are able to shoot them. 



There is a widely-spread belief in the country that a great 

 quantity of berries means that a very severe winter is 

 going to follow. But as a matter of fact the winter of 1904 

 was not a severe one, and yet there were enormous quantities 

 of berries. 



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