WEED SEED. 



75 



An interesting illustration of tree sparrows' habits was noticed on 

 the Hungerford farm during a heavy snowstorm in the third week of 

 February, 1900. Here and there, where the whiteness of the field was 

 pierced by phalanxes of dry broom -sedge, a flock of a dozen or more 

 tr^e sparrows found good cheer in spite of the driving flakes. From 

 one brown patch to another they flew, clinging to the plants while they 

 plucked out the seeds, seldom leaving a stalk unexplored. Frequentl}^ 

 two would feed from a single stalk, while a third, made thrifty by the 

 wintry dearth, hopped in the snow below searching for scattered seeds. 

 The snow whirled in clouds across the field, but these little creatures, 

 inured to northern tempests, worked on with cheerful, hardy indus- 

 try. Several days later a flock of more than 200 sparrows, chiefly 

 ijuncos and tree sparrows, 

 with some song sparrows 

 and white-throats, were ob- 

 served feeding on a piece 

 of truck land between two 

 bushy brooks where weeds 

 grew rank, in places over- 

 topping a man's head. The 

 snow beneath was every- 

 where delicately marked 

 with interlacing tracks, 

 which showed how thorough 

 had been the search for 

 food. One space 50 yards 

 square had hardl}^ a square 

 yard that was free from the 

 prints of tiny feet. The 

 main harvest of ragweed 

 seeds laj^ buried under the 

 snow, but remnants still 

 clung to the stalks, and lamb's-quarters and amaranth were well laden. 

 Under all these plants thickly scattered chaff and seed coats bore wit- 

 ness to the birds' work. 



WEED DESTRUCTION BY OTHER BIRDS. 



Goldfinch. — Goldfinches (fig. 29) would be as valuable as sparrows if 

 they were as numerous. Like sparrows, they destroy weeds throughout 

 the year. In spring their first fresh supply comes from the dandelion. 

 On May 18, 1899, three males and two females hopped about among 

 the dandelion globes in the Bryan front 3^ard, every now and then 

 perching crosswise on the stalks and devouring the seeds. In June 

 goldfinches often visited the field daisy {Erigeron ramosus)^ and in 

 July the purple aster ( Yernonia) and the wild carrot {Daucus carota). 

 In these cases they appeared to be picking out immature seeds, and 



Fig. 29.— Goldfinch. 



