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and attracted them to his yard by securing a quantity of the 

 mortar and pulverizing it. They became so fearless as to 

 allow one to pick them up.^ A little salt mixed with the sand 

 might be useful. This species sometimes feeds on weed seeds. 

 Salt pork, pork rind, and even salt water, have been used to 

 attract crossbills. Thev feed on the seeds of larches and other 

 coniferous trees bearing rather small cones. Crossbills like the 

 fruit of the sweet gum and Virginia juniper or red cedar, and 

 the seeds of the Ailanthus and sunflowers. 



Redpolls. 

 Redpolls feed much on the seeds of the gray birch during 

 their stay with us in winter, but they are sometimes attracted 

 by the seeds of the millet, and will come to the dooryard to 

 get them. They will take rolled oats, hayseed and most small 

 bird seed from any kind of a feeding box or shelf in winter, as 

 they are quite unsuspicious. 



Pine Siskin. 

 The pine siskin sometimes comes to chaff and hayseed thrown 

 on the snow. Miss Eliza F. Miller tells of both siskins and 

 redpolls eating millet seed at Bethel, Vermont, and says that 

 this species and other birds preferred cracked butternuts to all 

 other food.^ In winter they seek water eagerly. 



Goldfinch. 



This beautiful bird is won by sunflower seeds. Winter and 

 summer, nothing equals them as an attraction. Mr. Edward L. 

 Parker says that goldfinches frequent the flower known as 

 bachelor's button, and Dr. Mellen notes that chicory will call 

 them. Dr. Anne E. Perkins asserts that the goldfinch always 

 finds the seed of cosmos, and Miss Mabel T. Tilton places the 

 seed of the hollyhock and that of the sweet pepper bush among 

 its preferences. Tliis bird is fond of the seeds of Hungarian 

 millet, dandelions, thistles, hawkweed, goldenrod, evening 

 primrose, hollyhock, honeysuckles, burdock, catnip, birch, 

 locust, and the seeds of several cpniferous trees. 



1 Baynes, Ernest Harold: Wild Bird Guests, 1915, p. 141. 



2 "Bird-Lore," Vol. XIV., November-December, 1912, p. 335; 



