40 BIRDS IN THEIR RELATIONS TO MAN. 



BUDS AND BLOSSOMS. 



A few birds make a practice of eating the buds of trees 

 and shrubs. These are mostly winter birds which otherwise 

 could scarcely find subsistence in the North after snow falls. 

 While snow lasts the ruffed grouse lives almost wholly upon 

 buds, preferring those of poplar, apple, and maple trees, but 

 occasionally sampling the tips of birch, hazel, and other twigs. 

 Pine and evening grosbeaks are also fond of buds, apparently 

 without much regard as to kind, for they eat the buds of a 

 large number of trees, both evergreen and deciduous. In 

 early spring the swelling buds of oaks, maples, and elms are 

 relished by the rose-breasted grosbeak, purple finch, English 

 sparrow, and the cross-bills. 



In the garden and orchard the buds of grape-vines, currant- 

 bushes, peach, plum, cherry, apple, and pear trees are some- 

 times eaten by English sparrows, purple finches, and pine 

 grosbeaks, but it is rare that any injury from this cause is 

 noticed. The ruffed grouse, however, is capable of inflicting 

 real damage by a too close pruning of buds, and cases are 

 known where apple orchards located near woods have been 

 rendered useless by them. , 



The blossoms of trees are of considerable indirect interest 

 to a number of birds because they attract so many insects. 

 Orioles and warblers are always associated with apple blos- 

 soms in the mind of the naturalist, because he invariably 

 finds them associated in nature. They may sometimes eat 

 a petal or a few stamens : they certainly destroy a multitude 

 of insects. The cedar-bird, however, has a liking for petals, 

 and devours them greedily, and so does the purple finch. 

 Probably other birds will be found to take parts of flowers. 

 But the eating of petals and stamens can hardly be deemed 

 injurious until it becomes much more common than at present. 



The only native birds that are given to eating leaves are the 

 few wild species that are most nearly related to our domestic 



