244 Wild Bird Guests 



"Sparrows are such suspicious and cunning 

 birds, that, if the strychnine grain be exposed at 

 first, they will probably roll each kernel in their 

 bills, taste it, reject it, and possibly refuse to 

 touch it again that winter. The best way is to 

 select a safe place, where the wind is not likely 

 to scatter it a walk, driveway, or porch roof with 

 a smooth surface so that the grain may be swept 

 up after each trial. Accustom them to feeding 

 there daily with grain exactly like that which is 

 medicated (I often do this for a week or even a 

 month, until all the sparrows in the neighborhood 

 are wont to come regularly), study the times 

 when they come for their meals, and then on a 

 cold, dry morning after a heavy snowstorm, 

 having swept up all the good grain the night 

 before, wait until they have gathered and then 

 put down enough strychnized grain to feed the 

 entire flock. You have about ten minutes before 

 any begin to drop, and those that have not par- 

 taken of the grain by this time will probably be 

 frightened off; but by timing it properly I have 

 repeatedly caught every sparrow in the flock. 

 I have found the morning the best time as they 

 all come then; and it is essential to success to 

 select a dry day, since in wet weather they taste 

 the strychnine too quickly; I have seen them 

 actually throw it out of the crop. 



