56 OUR NATIVE BIRDS 



into the snow are eagerly sought by the birds and afford 

 much pleasure to the observer. All seeds collected in 

 the autumn must be stored in some place where mice 

 and rats cannot get at them, or not a kernel will be left. 

 Weeds of all kinds must not be collected too late, or the 

 birds will have eaten the seeds that have not dropped 

 to the ground. Pieces of fat and suet nailed to boughs 

 should not be too large, otherwise the birds will grease 

 their wings with them in warm weather and with 

 greased wings they cannot fly well. No salted meat 

 should be fed. If your children do not know what to 

 do on a long winter evening, let them make strings of 

 the seeds of cucumbers, melons, squash, and pumpkins. 

 Throw these strings into the trees and watch the fun, 

 when the birds discover them. 



Another interesting device for feeding and observing 

 birds can be arranged as follows : Fasten a small ever- 

 green or a branch of some other tree near a convenient 

 window, preferably in the second story, as that is safe 

 from cats. Tie bits of raw, unsalted meat, suet, split 

 walnuts, and other nuts to your tree. If you bore a 

 hole into the shell, the split nut can be firmly sus- 

 pended by a string. After the kernel has been eaten 

 out, the shell may be filled with suet. On such trees 

 and branches chickadees and other birds will give pretty 

 gymnastic performances. Nearly all seed-eating birds 

 are fond of greens. They eat young herbs and tender 

 young grass just like the domestic chickens. I have 

 seen the slate-colored juncoes feast on a pasture of very 

 young knotgrass or doorweed, Polygonum aviculare^ 



