132 Wild Bird Guests 



ford or will make the time. It has been my ex- 

 perience that no better workers can be found than 

 the boys from the high schools and the upper 

 grades of the grammar schools ; this is especially 

 true if they belong to the Boy Scouts. As a rule 

 their work should be superintended by some 

 older person in whom they have confidence. 

 But, whoever the workers are, they should have 

 the support of the entire community; they are 

 engaged in a public work of great value. 



The coming of the first real snowstorm is 

 considered the signal for the beginning of opera- 

 tions. The volunteers meet at some convenient 

 building, as the high school or the town hall, 

 where the bird-food has previously been stored, 

 and if they are wise, they come dressed for work 

 in the snow. The country in and about the 

 town is divided into sections, and a squad vary- 

 ing in size with the number of volunteers and 

 the amount of territory to be covered, is sent to 

 each section. Usually a squad consists of two, 

 three, or four boys, who may or may not have 

 an older person as leader. Each squad should 

 be provided with snow-shovels to remove the 

 snow, or better, snowshoes to trample it down 

 hard. They should also have a bag or basket 

 to carry a mixture of grain and birdseed, a 

 quantity of fat meat or suet, and plenty of string 



