BIRDS OF FIELD AND GARDEN. 297 
grain and small seeds that they found in the poultry yards 
and scratching-sheds. When Professor Beal states his belief 
that the Tree Sparrows in the State of Iowa eat eight hundred 
and seventy-five tons of weed seeds in a winter, it seems, in 
view of our experience, a low estimate. 
Not far from the house was a patch of Japanese millet about 
ten rods long by one wide. This was allowed to stand until 
fully ripe, and then reaped and threshed out for the seed. 
As it stood a little too long, much seed fell and was left on 
the ground for the birds, — probably two bushels or more. 
During the winter they cleaned this up so thoroughly that 
only about a dozen stalks sprang up the next spring at one 
end of the patch. 
When Sparrows flock normally about a weed patch, they 
gather up nearly ninety per cent. of the seed during a winter ; 
but when more are attracted by extra food, they often get 
nearly all the seeds, as they did that year about our garden. 
Dr. Judd examined a rectangular space of eighteen inches 
where Sparrows had been feeding in a smartweed thicket. 
He found eleven hundred and thirty mutilated seeds, and 
only two whole ones. No smartweed grew there the follow- 
ing year. Sparrows were still feeding on these and similar 
seeds on May 13, and a diligent search showed only half a 
dozen whole seeds in the field. Weed seeds form more than 
half the food of mature Sparrows for the year. 
This great group of birds comprises species of such varied 
habits that it is represented everywhere. Sparrows, Finches, 
Grosbeaks, or Buntings are found not only in the woods, 
fields, and city streets, but in swamps and marshes, and 
among the desert sand hills of Cape Cod and Ipswich. They 
range from the mountain top to the sea level, and from the 
shores of the sea to the farthest western boundary of the 
State; even at sea migrating Sparrows are sometimes seen, 
for they not only cross wide bays and estuaries, but they 
visit remote islands, and are sometimes blown out to sea. 
In the following pages some of the more common and 
useful species will be considered. The “English” Sparrow 
will be treated among the enemies of birds. 
