ATTRACTING THE WINTER BIRDS 105 



counter was suspended from a wire running from 

 a tree to a second-story window. About halfway 

 between these two was placed a stationary counter; 

 the author thought that, by supplying the spar- 

 rows with sufficient food at this counter, they 

 might be tempted to leave the moving counters 

 alone and allow the other birds to come to them. 

 This surmise, however, proved only partly correct ; 

 for while the sparrows would eat from the sta- 

 tionary counter, in preference to the others, they 

 would eat and waste such an enormous quantity 

 of food, that even if the counter were heaped up 

 with food in the morning, in a few hours it would 

 be all gone, and then they would turn their 

 attention to the other counters. 



But during the first part of the season they did 

 not often come in large numbers to the counter 

 suspended from the wire. This was hung on only 

 a single pulley, so that it was easily moved, being 

 in almost constant motion; and when the wind 

 blew strongly, the motion was accompanied by a 

 creaking of the wire. When this was out at some 

 distance from the house, a few sparrows came 

 to it, but as it was brought nearer it was less 

 frequented by them during the first part of the 

 winter ; but when the heavy snows covered most of 

 fcheir ordinary supply of food, they came in large 

 numbers to both moving counter and window. 



