OSCAR BIRD warren: 83 



Study of birds cannot be found in all the catalogue of pleas- 

 ures. Birds have been my friends since childhood, and many 

 of my most pleasant hours have been spent in their com- 

 panionship. So varied in form and coloring are they, so un- 

 like in disposition and habits, with so much of airy life in 

 their fairy beings, they ever invite and hold my attention. 

 In temperate seasons, awakening me by their morning mel- 

 odies, they accompany me in walks and rambles, visit me 

 while at work, enliven the beautiful summer hours, and 

 brighten the dreary days of autumn. Even when Boreas 

 sends his chilling breath over the land, driving the avian 

 hosts southward, some stanch and hardy friends remain, and 

 others come from the wild northland to spend the winter 

 months. Never is a day so cold as to daunt the courage of 

 the merry Black-capped Chickadee, or of his cousin, the Red- 

 bellied Nuthatch ; they are seen throughout the year. Scarce- 

 ly is there a day in winter on which the Blue Jay will not 

 be seen about our houses, gathering up waste scraps of food. 

 A few Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers spend the whole 

 winter with us, making friendly visits to the ash pile or to 

 bones provided for them, for which they are always grateful. 

 Occasionally an Owl is driven by hunger to the poultry 

 house. Pine Grosbeaks and Crossbills come to feed on the 

 mountain-ash berries; flocks of rosy Redpolls strip the birches 

 of their catkins and glean the seeds from weeds and grasses. 

 Scores of cheery Snowflakes drop down from leaden clouds 

 to tell us of the approaching snow storm, a few of these 

 storm messengers remaining about the barns all winter feed- 

 ing on grass seed and wasted grain. 



Under changed conditions birds behave in very different 

 ways, all of which are interesting and worthy of the most 

 careful observation. When will we learn all the ins and outs 

 of the common Blue Jay ? How little, in fact, we know about 

 his many characteristics. In this northern land, throughout 

 the winter months, Jays remain about the houses, picking 

 up food of all kinds and qualities. They are most numerous 



