304 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



ANSWERS TO OCTOBER PUZZLES. 



What his "his name? Yellow-breasted Chat. Numerical Enigma. 

 Cedar Waxwing. 



MAILBAG EXTRACTS. 



How We May Help the Birds. 



How often has the question been asked, "How can we help the 

 birds?" I hope many, if not all of the readers of the American Orni- 

 thology have asked this question, and hope they will take a hint that 

 will aid them to answer this noble question. In the summer the birds 

 find plenty to eat, and we find them destroying grubs and insects that 

 are very injurious to our best trees and garden, but in the cold winter 

 all is so different. The ground is covered with a thick blanket of snow, 

 which often covers the tops of the highest weeds, upon which our 

 snowbirds and other birds of the same family feed. If these helpful 

 birds cannot get food enough to keep up a good high temperature 

 within their body, they will freeze. We cannot afford to part with 

 them, so the only thing to do is to provide them food. 



Rather than lose our little friends, I am sure we would all be willing 

 to go out into the fields, shovel away a little snow, place a board and 

 scatter seeds of any kind upon it, if you cannot get seeds, oats, or any 

 other grain, crumbs will do very well. 



Our little friends will soon find their feast, and should we visit the 

 field a few days later, we should find that they had eaten it all up, and 

 we would hear them calling out their gratitude, and asking for more. 



The snowbird is but one example. There are at least ten other 

 species of birds to be found in every part of the United States, all of which 

 need to be cared for. When the trees are covered with snow and sleet 

 what would the chickadees and the nuthatches, and the woodpeckers 

 and the jays do for food? We must tack up suet or fat of any kind on 

 the tree trunks high enough to get the birds out of harm's way, and 

 also hang a basket of cracked nuts and crumbs upon the trees. 



If we all feed the birds during the hardest parts of the long cold win- 

 ter, and keep them well supplied with good fresh food we will no long- 

 er need to ask "How can we help the birds?" Then their numbers 

 will increase, and our troublesome grubs will decrease. 



Samuel Dowse Robbins, Belmont, Mass. 



