244 FLOWER GARDENING 
Different birds require different kinds of encour- 
agement. The black-winged yellow bird, or Amer+ 
ican goldfinch, is sure to come in summer if there 
are cornflowers going to seed. So long as the seeds 
are good pickings, count on his company. And 
among the blue blossoms he is one of the prettiest 
of garden sights. Always have some cornflowers 
for the goldfinches. Later the juncoes and chicka- 
dees will be frequent visitors if you have been con- 
siderate enough to plant a few sunflowers for them. 
The big Russian sunflower is best and with careful 
arrangement is not inimical to beauty in a garden 
picture. Have enough of them somewhere on the 
place to attract the birds until late autumn. 
In the spring the male purple grackle, with the 
lustre fresh on his plumage, is a beautiful figure in 
the garden. The grackles and starlings walk 
leisurely over the beds and borders and the robins 
hop about—all in search of earth food, and not 
over-timid. The chipping sparrow, whose nest may 
be in the clematis vine that shades the piazza, and 
the yellowhammer are likewise neighborly; the 
rose-breasted grosbeak and great-crested flycatcher 
drop in occasionally; the bluebird, warbling vireo, 
kingbird, bluejay, downy woodpecker and Balti- 
more oriole spend much time in the trees overhead; 
the ruby-throated humming bird buzzes around the 
flowers day in and day out, resting at long intervals 
on a branch, and it may be that the screech owl, 
looking for his prey, is in the garden of a night. 
The starling is very fond of the fruit of the com- 
