74 



AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



nutritious, and picks up small seeds that require a close examination 

 of the ground. Blackbirds of all species walk. They do not hop like 

 the robins. Some species of the foragers do their 

 work in compact assemblages. This habit renders 

 the Snow Buntings extremely attractive. Their food 

 is not distributed in separate morsels like that of the 

 robins and woodpeckers. It 

 consists of seeds and grasses 

 and of composite plants, which 

 are often scattered very evenly 

 over a wide surface. When a 

 flock of fifty or more settle down in a field each one fares as well 

 as if he were alone, during the short time he remains on the spot. In- 

 sect feeders find it for the most part profitable to scatter and keep sep- 

 arate, because their food is sparsely distributed. This is not true of 

 birds which frequent the salt marshes that are overflowed by the tide. 

 Their food consists of insects and worms, which are evenly scattered 

 and abundant. Hence sandpipers, and some other species, forage in 

 flocks, though they live exclusively upon an insect diet. The foraging 

 habits of domestic poultry illustrate some of the differences observed 

 in the manner of wild birds. Place a brood of ducks in a field during- 

 grasshopper time, and they will generally pursue one course, marching 

 in a body over the field with great regularity; A brood of chickens, on 

 the contrary, will scatter, occasionally reassembling, but never keeping" 

 close together, unless they are following a hen. Turkeys scatter them- 

 selves less than chickens, but do not equal ducks, in the regularity of 

 their movements. Pigeons settle down upon a field in a compact flock, 

 and then radiate in all directions. They pursue no regular march like 

 the ducks. It is difficult to estimate the usefulness of this systematic 

 army of foragers. It matters not in what stage of its existence the in- 

 sect is destroyed; it is still demonstrable that these minute creatures 

 cannot be kept in check imless they are attacked in all stages. 



Man cannot by artificial means appreciably check their multiplication 

 or their ravages. Birds are their only effectual destroyers. "Protect 

 the birds." frank h. sweet. 



