252 BIRD FRIENDS 



teen have fed from the hand. Those reported as 

 feeding from the hand, arranged in the order of the 

 number of records, are the chickadee, red-breasted 

 nuthatch, white-breasted nuthatch, redpoll, tufted 

 titmouse, Oregon jay, Canada jay, evening gros- 

 beak, bluebird, chipping sparrow, pine grosbeak, 

 white-winged crossbill, and pine siskin. 



Kinds of food. As far as possible one should put 

 out the kinds of food which birds prefer; but in 

 times of great hunger birds will eat many foods 

 which under ordinary circumstances would not be 

 attractive to them. Birds may be divided into two 

 groups according to their food habits, seed-eating 

 and insect-eating, although many birds eat both 

 seeds and insects. But this suggests that we may seek 

 to find substitutes for these two classes of natural 

 food. Without question the best food for insectiv- 

 orous birds is suet. It is cheap, does not freeze 

 easily, and is eaten by many birds. 



The seed-eating birds live largely on weed seeds in 

 nature, but many other kinds of seeds are relished 

 by them. Among the best are hemp, sunflower, 

 millet, and peanuts. Other foods which have been 

 eaten by birds are : crumbs, cracked corn, fat pork, 

 dog-biscuits, oats, oatmeal, 'squash seed, nuts, mar- 

 row of bones, wheat, and boiled rice. 



The food should be supplied with regularity, par- 

 ticularly so during stormy or severe weather, so 

 that the birds may be able to find a supply at all 



