190 Wild Bird Guests 



my thanks are particularly due to Mr. Alfred 

 Rehder of the Arnold Arboretum, to whose 

 thorough knowledge and painstaking care I am 

 indebted for the list of fruiting seasons. I am 

 also indebted to the United States Department 

 of Agriculture for information contained in the 

 Bulletin entitled, How to Attract Birds in North- 

 eastern United States, by W. L. McAtee." 



In addition to the above there is a long list of 

 herbaceous plants which are attractive to birds, 

 but a few of the more important ones will suffice. 

 In the open field of the Bird Sanctuary at Meri- 

 den, we plant Japanese millet, hemp, wheat, and 

 sunflowers. Buckwheat is excellent, especially 

 if there are wild doves in the vicinity. The 

 hemp, millet, and sunflowers we leave standing, 

 and the birds take the seed at will during the 

 fall and winter. The wheat we cut, bind in 

 sheaves, and tie^ ears down, to the trunks of trees 

 in the woodland, that grouse and other birds may 

 find plenty of available food just above the snow. 



In many of the village gardens are planted 

 Japanese millet and sunflowers, and Mr. Ken- 

 nard recommends that nightshade and poke- 

 berry be planted along the stone walls. 



Ruby-throated humming-birds are such uni- 

 versal favorites that many of us like to do a 

 little planting especially for them. They are 



