25 



Red-icinged Blackbird. 



Nothing seems so attractive to this bird as oats thrown on 

 the ground. It will find such food at any season. 



Meadoivlark. 

 This bird prefers insects to all other food, but in winter will 

 eat small whole grain or cracked corn. When snow lies deep 

 on the ground it comes readily to a patch of chaff thrown on 

 the snow or even on a burlap sack, and feeds about poultry 

 houses, picking up the scattered grain. Dr. N. Chandler Foot 

 recommends mixed hempseed and cracked corn. Miss Evie W. 

 Drew writes that the larks "just stuffed themselves with buck- 

 wheat and chick-feed " during the winter of 1917-18. This species 

 is wintering more and more in New England. In summer it is 

 fond of old fields where the grass is never cut, and nests by 

 preference in such places. 



tial. 



Baltimore Oriole. 

 The Baltimore oriole nests in elms, but these are not essen- 

 Worsted, w^ool and cotton waste for nesting material uill 

 attract it. Cotton twine, strings, yarn 

 and horsehair cut to lengths of about 

 14 inches and hung out on tree branches 

 may decide it to build its nest anywhere. 

 Dr. N. Chandler Foot recommends 

 worsted and wool, or cotton waste. 

 JNIrs. Olivia G. Carroll hangs in con- 

 spicuous positions a number of crocheted 

 bags or balls, which she fills with pieces 

 of string and cotton batting, and then 

 draws through the interstices twine, 

 yarn, silk floss, thread and horsehair cut 

 in lengths of 12 to 15 inches, and left 

 with both ends hanging out. (See Figs. 

 28 and 29.) Orioles and vireos seek such 

 material often for their nests, and will build where 

 thev find it easilv accessible, but Mrs. Carroll savs 

 that she has seen kingbirds, chipping sparrows, song sparrows, 

 barn swallows, vireos, robins, goldfinches, cedar waxwings and 



Fig. 2S.— Cro- 

 cheted ball 

 filled with cot- 

 ton batting for 

 nest builders. 



Fig. 29. — The 

 same ball with 

 yarn, string 

 and horsehair 

 added. 



