Crossbill. — Six inches long. General color Indian red in the male and green- 

 ish yellow in the female ; wings and tail brown ; back and shoulders brown with 

 red edges to the feathers ; bill crossed at the tip. Feeds on cones. 



Homed Lark. — Seven and one-half inches long; black crescent on breast; 

 black bar across to side of head forming two tufts ; throat and neck pale yellow ; 

 bill dark ; feet black. Feed about swamps, fields or barns. 



Cedar Waxwing. — Known by its crest ; yellow tail tips, red wing appendages 

 and straight black bill. Eats berries. 



Owls. — Barn owl ; barred owl ; greated horned owl ; snowy owl. 



Hawks. — Sharpshinned hawk ; chicken hawk ; red-tailed hawk. 



Goldfinch, Shrike, Pine Grosbeak. 



INVITE THE FEATHERED NEIGHBORS 



Far better than any amount of talking by the teacher about kindness to ani- 

 mals and the cruelty of killing birds and robbing nests, is a little well directed 

 effort to make the boys and the birds acquainted with one another. A boy whose 

 interest has been developed in birds by feeding them as pets is not likely to use a 

 sling shooter to their hurt or to molest them in the nesting season. 



The following, by E. H. Baynes in St. Nicholas, suggests a line of nature 

 study for winter which may be very successfully followed out by a school, and in 

 which the boys and girls will take great delight. A committee on birds may be 

 appointed each week to take charge of the feeding arrangements ; the birds and 

 the children will do the rest. Let the children report their observations every few 

 days. This is an opportunity to combine nature study and moral training. 



Mr. Bayne's article is entitled : 



COAXING BIRD GUESTS 



It is well to begin to make preparations for bird guests at least as early as 

 the middle of November. In the first place it takes some time for the news of 

 one's hospitality to spread among the feathered folk, and the sooner it starts the 

 better. Then, most people prefer to work outdoors in November rather than in 

 December. But January is not too late. It is very desirable that some of the 

 birds should be induced to feed where they may be observed by their hosts. 



Generally speaking, there are two kinds of birds to prepare for — those which 

 eat seed or grain and those which prefer animal food of some kind. There is 

 another class, well represented by the bluejays, which will eat almost anything, but 

 no special preparations need be made for the birds belonging to it, since they will 

 fare riotously on the food set out for the others. First of all we will consider the 

 insectivorous birds. Their natural fare is rarely attainable in winter, but beef 

 suet will be found a very good and convenient substitute for it. All things con- 

 sidered, suet is the best thing I have tried for this purpose. 



If there happen to be trees near the house, the problem of the bird-feeder is 

 simple; all he has to do is to tie the suet securely to the trunks and prominent 

 branches and await the arrival of his guests. If there are no trees, he should go 



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