REDPOLLS 383 



" perk-a-ree " or " pree-a-a-h " uttered in a clear high pitched 

 warble. 



During the winter of 1 907 a half dozen of these little birds 

 spent several days in my garden, feeding on the seeds of 

 Betula populifolia which grew on a small tree in the garden. 

 They clambered about, hanging head down and in various 

 other postures, opening the catkins and getting out the seed 

 which they shelled and devoured. When they had stripped the 

 tree they descended to the ground and feasted on the hundreds 

 of seed they had, aided by the wind, scattered about. Passing 

 teams caused them to rise quickly and nervously and perch in 

 a tall maple near by, until reassured they again flew down to 

 feed. They were not afraid of any of the household and sev- 

 eral times I was within ten feet of them as they were feeding 

 without their taking alarm as long as all was quiet, but the 

 least noise of a passing team forty feet away caused them to 

 rise. They kept up their quick nervous calling more or less 

 continuously. 



Among the things I have known them to eat are seed of 

 Alnus mollis, Alnus incana, Betula populifolia, Betula lutea, 

 Betula lenta, Betula alba papyrifera, Larix laricina. Thuya 

 occidentalis, Tsuga canadensis. Ambrosia artemesiaefolia, Chen- 

 opodium album, Phleum pratense, Calamagrostis canadensis, 

 and various other tree, grass and weed seed. I regard them 

 as decidedly beneficial on account of the great number of weed 

 seed they consume, while the seeds of our native trees which 

 they eat in no way prevent the abundant seeding of these spe- 

 cies, but on the contrary by scattering the seed broadcast, as in 

 the case of the birch in my garden, they rather aid in the scat- 

 tering of seed of trees. Occasionally when the seed crop is 

 scarce they eat a few buds of birch, alder, poplar, and other 

 trees. They like to feed in the thickets along streams and by 

 the wayside, or on the weeds sticking up through the snow by 

 the fields and waysides. 



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