THE VEGETABLE FOOD OF BIRDS. 



33 



on account of their persistence. The various sorts of sumach 

 berries fall in this class. These berries remain throughout 

 the winter as they grew, and during the season of want add 

 materially to the food supply of northern birds. Ruffed 

 grouse, crows, jays, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and chickadees 

 frequently partake of them when the ground is covered with 

 snow. Brown thrashers, cat-birds, mocking-birds, bluebirds, 

 robins, and even kingbirds eat them at times, though prob- 

 ably never to any considerable extent. It is interesting to 



CEDAR-BERRIES. 



note in passing that the berries of the poison-ivy and poison- 

 sumach are eaten as freely as those of any other species of 

 equal abundance. 



. The small hard berries of the red cedar and juniper con- 

 tribute to the livelihood of practically the same company. 

 They are especially sought by cedar-birds and are evidently 

 enjoyed by purple finches, pine grosbeaks, and myrtle war- 

 blers ; the latter bird, however, depends in cold weather 

 more upon bayberries than anything else. In fact, it gets 

 its name from one of the vernacular names of the shrub that 



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