BIRD HEPLERS IN THE GARDEN 185 



attract birds. The bees are the most beneficial of the insect 

 friends and birds have learned to let them alone. Moreover, many 

 of our common birds live during the later summer and fall, upon 

 the seeds of those weeds which ssem always on hand to plant them- 

 selves in our garden beds, and by destroying them save us a deal of 

 backache incident to pulling weeds 



The birds which are most likely to affect our gardens are — the 

 phoebe, chipping sparrow, song sparrow, house wTcn, humming- 

 bird, bluebird, chickadee, swift, swallow, robin, catbird, and 

 mockingbird. Let us see just what each one may do to help us. 



The Phoebe 



This bird comes to us early, and likes to nest in a little used 

 piazza, or some safe nook in some building. The field of its 

 operations is always near the house garden. The phoebe sits 

 upon some branch, or other resting place not far from the ground, 

 and spends its time darting out after any insects detected by its 

 sharp eyes. 



A pair usually raises two broods in the same locality and the 

 number of insects put down the young phoebes' throats is great 

 beyond belief. The young are fed exclusively on insect diet which 

 includes cutworms, moths, grasshoppers, spiders, caterpillars, and 

 flies. All these are taken from our garden and made into phoebe 

 birds. The adults feed largely on beetles and grasshoppers. 



Chipping Sparrow 



The active little chippies build in our garden shrubbery-, hedges, 

 and vines, and they are the most devoted of parents. Professor 

 Clarence Weed is the Homer of the chippies' achievements in the 

 economic field. His obsen-ations began at 3 140 a. m. and continued 

 until 7 140 p. m. There were three nearly fledged nestlings which the 

 parents were feeding, and 220 visits to the nest were made to satisfy 

 the ravenous appetites of these youngsters. Fifty caterpillars 

 were brought, but crickets, craneflies, earthworms and grass- 

 hoppers usually form a very important part of the yoimg chippies' 

 diet. A pair usually rears two broods after May 8th and they do 

 valuable work in the garden, especially as their young are such cry- 

 babies and follow their parents around, teasing for food after they 

 are as large as their parents and a good deal fatter. 



