THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 379 



there are no cats, any shed near the house, and opening toward 

 the south, will be a good feeding place for birds. They will 

 go there to feed when snow lies deep on the ground. At 

 other times they Avill feed mostly in weed thickets, fields, 

 and gardens. 



There are so many kinds of seeds that are relished by 

 birds that there will be no difficulty in furnishing them a 

 liberal supply of food when they need it. The farmer Avill 

 find on his barn floors chaff mixed with enough seed to feed 

 a large flock of birds through the entire winter. This should 

 be gathered from the leavings of the latest cut first crop of 

 hay, for there will be less matured seed of any kind in the 

 early cut hay. Those who wish to provide more attractive 

 food have their choice of the various seeds sold at the bird 

 stores. Farmers often grow sunflowers for the fowls. These 

 will attract Goldfinches ; sunflower heads or detached seeds 

 make a good winter food for birds. It is a good plan to give 

 one or more of the children a small patch of land near the 

 house, on which to raise Japanese millet. If sown broad- 

 cast on rich, moist soil, it will grow from five to seven feet 

 in height, and the large seed heads will supply an immense 

 quantity of seed. It takes but three or four square rods of 

 land to produce all the seed one will need for birds, for a 

 bushel or two ought to suffice for an ordinary winter. 



Winter is the time, if ever, to feed the Jays and Crows. 

 If they do not molest the smaller birds they can do little 

 harm, and they may do much good. Hang up a choice bit 

 of carrion in the orchard or in the edge of the woods. It 

 should be seven or eight feet from the ground, so as to be 

 out of the reach of dogs or foxes. The skinned carcass of a 

 fox or a cat will do very well. It should be so placed that 

 the Crows can find no convenient roost within easy reach 

 of it. It will then last the longer, and keep more of them 

 from starvation. When the snow is deep they can resort to 

 it one or two at a time, and when patches of ground become 

 bare they will hunt meadow mice and dormant insects in the 

 fields and thickets. By feeding them you may prevent their 

 eating all the bayberries and other berries on which some of 

 the smaller birds depend for food. Jays are also of great 



