In the Woods at Dogwood Time. 



When the dofj'wood (Cortuis florlda) ripens 

 its berries in November and the nights get 

 cold, and sometimes the days also, it is inter- 

 esting to note the birds that Hook around tlieir 

 old favorites to get a good square meal. 



First and foremost hnndreds of Bluejjirds 

 fly backwards and forwards between tTTe* big 

 trees and the dogwoods, seemingly never sat- 

 isfied; then all the robins in tlie neighborhood 

 joiniii too until some festive colored man brings 

 his musket along and scatters them. Tlie 

 Hermit Thrush also unites with his more 

 noisy and numerous relatives in the repast, 

 stray flocks of Cedarbirds, occasional Purple 

 ■ and Kusty Grackles, and plenty of Purple 

 Finches add to the crowd of birds; all so far 

 mentioned swallow the berries whole except 

 the last, who only eat the pulp. 



Pine Warblers, witli an occasional Myrtle, 

 peck avi'ay at the berries and the G-oldeu- 

 crowned Kinglet often joins them. Both 

 Tufted and Carolina Tits and any Blue-headed 

 Vireos that are about vary their insect diet| 

 with dogwood pulp. White-throated Spar-|' 

 rows, Snowbirds and other Sparrows also feed 

 on them in immense numbers as also a good 

 scattering of Yellow Hammers and Yellow- 

 bellied Sapsuckers and a few of the other 

 Woodpeckers also, though the Di-yobates seem 

 to prefer poison oak berries and the Melanerpes 

 acorns. 



As long as the dogwood berries last there 

 are always plenty of birds in the woods, but 

 when they are all gone tire woods seem com- 

 paratively empty and lonesome and the collec- 

 tor had better try the open field or the creek 

 woodlands. C. S. Brimley. 



Raleifth, N. C. 



0.& O. XV«Feb,, 1890 p.ii''-^0 



