378 AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



The latter part of June, several weeks after the lunch counter was 

 started, a big shiny crow blackbird, or bronzed grackle, called to in- 

 vestigate. He was evidently pleased with the accommodations and en- 

 joyed his meal for he soon returned with his wife. The next day they 

 thought it would save time to bring the whole family. The four rusty, 

 awkward young ones sat on the inch strip side by side squawking vig- 

 orously while the parents stood in front of them and literally stuffed 

 them full. The next day they only got an occasional morsel by way 

 of encouragement from the parents who seemed to think that if their 

 children could not help themselves when they stood ankle deep in food, 

 they would have a hard fight for life. 



Blackbirds are clannish so these visitors brought all their neighbors 

 and relatives until the climax was reached when I counted thirty birds 

 feeding at one time. A pound of crackers melted away like dew before 

 the sun. 



The chewinks, flickers, mourning doves and redheaded woodpeckers 

 were all frequent visitors, but I have never seen a robin dining there 

 although they are very plentiful. Our large wild cherry tree is entire- 

 ly given over to them every summer. Other birds seem to respect 

 their colonization rights and leave their tree alone for nesting purposes. 

 It may be that the robin is an old fashioned bird and holds to a diet of 

 worms as the only safe and reliable food for young robins. 



The redheads were the last to discover the lunch counter. I was 

 watching two thrashers and a catbird when a whirr of wings and a 

 sharp warning clack, which sent the other birds flying, announced the 

 arrival of a redhead. He critically sampled the dry brown bread, 

 crackers and cold oatmeal, then flew away with a lump of brown bread 

 as big as a hickory nut. In a few minutes he was back again from a 

 neighboring telephone pole into which he seemed to be stowing away 

 the food. 



Even the casual observer must note the selfish spirit that dominated 

 these pensioners of my bounty. The sparrows drove each other away. 

 The catbirds chased the sparrows and while they were at it, down 

 came a thrasher and took possession only to fly at the arrival of a 

 group of belligerent blackbirds. Then down swooped the redhead 

 with such a whirr that all the birds scattered. 



The latest arrival was a red squirrel who picked out the biggest 

 pieces of cracker and sitting up, ate them, not only with evident relish, 

 but much better manners than the birds exhibited. 



The catbirds showed the least fear and ate the greatest variety of 

 food. They are very fond of meat and fat and seemed to find some- 

 thing good even when Shep had deserted his bone. Corn meal mixed 



