182 NATURE-STUDY REVIEW [ll:4-Apr, 1915 



m^r a heavy snowstorm last winter, I took a string of empty shells 

 into a kindergarten class and told the little ones about the way 

 the nuthatches hammered holes in the peanuts. One child dis- 

 covered a nut which had escaped the sharp eyes of the birds. 

 Its glee was as great as though it had discovered a treasure island. 

 Later, at the suggestion of one of the children, the little ones strimg 

 a quart of nuts and sent them to the "coimtry birds" to eat in 

 wintry weather. 



Sometimes I mix shelled peanuts with bread crumbs and suet 

 and place them on the bird shelf that I have fastened to one of the 

 trees. This shelf is a two foot board with a strip an inch and a 

 half wide nailed around it to prevent the food being scattered by 

 the birds or the wind. It is fastened to the tree by means of a 

 small iron bracket. 



The children of the neighborhood call it the "birds' hotel." 

 Beside bread and nuts, birds are very fond of small grain. Some- 

 times I give them wheat. Sometimes the regular chicken feed is 

 used. When the snow is heavy I sweep a path from the house to 

 the bird shelf and sprinkle grain quite generously, particularly 

 in foot-prints. I have counted a hundred little birds at one time — 

 juncos, tree sparrows, song sparrows, purple finches with a scatter- 

 ing of blue birds, cardinals, blue- jays and tufted tits. For variety 

 I occasionally put out apple, cocoanut, raisins or hard boiled egg 

 but generally the bill of fare consists of suet, bread, peanuts and 

 grain. I collected sumac berries last fall and scattered them over 

 the snow. As far as my observation extended none but the blue 

 birds ate them. 



Water is most important for the birds. One must learn by 

 experience. My bathing and drinking tank is a shallow, cement 

 one, a foot wide and two feet long, at the foot of the tree that holds 

 the bird shelf. It has served its purpose until recently when a 

 number of stray dogs and cats have discovered it with the result 

 that the birds fear to come near and there is seldom water in it 

 no matter how often it is filled. It will be replaced by an ele- 

 vated one. 



It is interesting to watch the small birds waiting for the robins, 

 thegrackles and jays to finish their baths before they attempt to 

 go in. I have seen a dozen birds waiting their opportunity. 

 The grackles use it to soak their bread in. Over and over again 

 I have seen them pick up a piece of bread, walk deliberately to 



