Xo. 4.] BIRDS ON THE FARM. 119 



to destroy. At this time our native sparrows, the song 

 sparrow, chipping sparrow, field sparrow and others, which 

 have been feedino- laroely for some time on the seeds of 

 weeds and grasses, begin their southward migration, and the 

 northern sparrows come in to take tlieir place. The white- 

 throated sparrow is among the first to appear, followed 

 closely by tlie fox sparrow, the junco (or black snow bird), 

 and last of all the tree sparrow. Still later, when heavy 

 snows fall, one may see the snowflake, also called the snow 

 bunting or white snow bird to distinguish it from the black 

 snow bird or junco. The fox sparrow lingers awhile, and 

 follows the whitethroat south ; but the junco and the tree 

 sparrow remain all winter, or so long as they can find food. 

 A few song sparrows also linger through the winter, while 

 now and then a swamp sparrow is seen. Now, if you watch 

 these birds during the fall and winter months, you will find 

 them feeding almost constantly on the seeds of weeds and 

 wild grasses. They visit neglected corn fields and potato 

 fields, roadsides, gardens and old fields grown up to weeds, 

 where they literally cram themselves with the seeds, and 

 put on fat rapidly. These birds are so full of seeds in the 

 fall or winter that often if one is shot, held up by the feet 

 and shaken, the seeds will flow from its mouth. These 

 seeds are seldom passed whole through the alimentary canal 

 of the bird and left to germinate when dropped in the 

 excreta, as is the case with some of the seeds swallowed, for 

 instance, by the crow ; but they are ground up by the 

 tough, gizzard-like stomach of the sparrows, and their nutri- 

 tious parts are thoroughly digested. 



The goldfinch, which remains with us throughout the 

 winter, is often seen clinging to the tops of the weeds, tak- 

 ing the seeds directly from the plant. More or less of this 

 kind of work is done also by redpolls, siskins and crossbills. 

 The tree sparrows also feed largely by alighting on the 

 plants and pecking oft' the seeds. The juneos and song 

 sparrows take more of the seeds from the ground after they 

 have fallen. These birds and the fox sparrows also scratch 

 away the fallen leaves or grasses to get at seeds buried be- 

 neath them. 



