BIRDS. 179 



Make a list of all the birds of your locality under these heads : Those 

 that make their nest in the grass ; those that nest about the house and 

 barn; those that nest in the orchard trees; those that nest in the foliage of 

 forest trees; those that seek a hollow in the tree. 



What birds of your locality rear two broods in one season ? 



Which are the best singers of your birds ? 



What is the difference between a bluebird and a bluejay ? Between a 

 blackbird and a crow blackbird ? Between a wren and a greybird ? 

 Between a cedar bird and a grosbeak ? Between a barn swallow and a 

 field sparrow ? Between a robin and a Baltimore oriole ? 



"It is well known that of the various groups of birds the majority live 

 upon insects. Among the insect eaters are the fly catchers, warblers, 

 woodpeckers, nuthatches, orioles, goat suckers, hummingbirds, tanagers, 

 waxwings, gnatcatchers, kinglets, vireos, thrushes, wrens, titmice, cuckoos, 

 swallows, shrikes, thrashers, creepers and bluebirds. 



" It is not generally known, however, that the so-called seed-eaters 

 feed their young largely upon insects, and eat a great many themselves; 

 nor is it realized how much good they do by eating weed seeds. Professor 

 F. E. L. Beal has calculated that the little tree sparrow in Iowa alone 

 destroys 1,720,000 Ibs. of noxious weed seeds every year. Moreover, in 

 summer seed-eaters cat blueberries, huckleberries, striwberries and rasp- 

 berries, and distribute their seeds unhaimed over thousands of acres which 

 would not otherwise support such growth. 



" After the examination of about forty birds, the only one actually 

 sentenced to death is the English sparrow. Of all the accused hawks 

 only three have been found guilty of the charges made against them the 

 goshawk, Cooper's, and the sharp shinned while the rest are numbered 

 among the best friends of the fruit grower and farmer. Of the wood- 

 peckers, the sap-sucker and redhead may be beneficial or injurious, 

 according to circumstances, but the rest of the family are highly beneficial. 

 To most of the rem lining birds tried the evidence is decidedly creditable. 

 The crow, crow blackbird and cedar bird are acquitted, as doing more 

 good than hmn; and it is proved that agriculturists owe especial protection 

 and friendship to the phosbe, kingbird, catbird, swallow, brown thrasher, 

 rose-breasted groslwak, house wren, vireos, cuckoo, oriole, shore lark, 

 loggerhead shrue and meadow lark." 



FLORENCE A. MERRIAM, of Washington, D.C. 



