78 OUR WINTER BIRDS IN THEIR FOOD RELA 1 IONS. 
the flowers ; and as soon as the 
cherries put out their blossoms they 
feed almost exclusively upon the 
stamens of the flowers ; afterwards the 
apple blossoms are attacked in the 
same manner ; and their depredations 
on these continue until they disap- 
pear which is usually about the tenth 
or middle of May.” Many later ob- 
servers have seen the purple finches 
eating the tender portions of the buds 
and blossoms of apple, cherry , plum, 
and peach, but as a partial offset it is 
Head of Great Northern Shrike. 
also known to devour plant-lice and 
various caterpillars. 
The snowbird or snow bunting is 
one of the most characteristic winter 
birds. It is a seed-eater, coming to 
us from the north with the winter 
snows. 
The junco or black snowbird is a 
common winter resident or migrant 
in most of the eastern states, breed- 
ing in the northern tier of states and 
in Canada. Its principal food con- 
sists of the seeds of weeds, though in 
summer many insects are eaten. 
The great northern shrike is one of 
the most picturesque of our winter 
birds. ‘‘Appropriating to himself 
sufficient territory where no other 
bird may safely intrude, he becomes 
the terror of the neighborhood,” 
writes Dr. Coues. “ Woe to the 
unlucky finch or warbler that ven- 
tures to trespass on these hunting 
grounds. Dike a veritable sentinel 
on guard, the shrike stands in wait 
upon his chosen spot, ready to 
pounce with unerring aim upon the 
first little bird that may dare to rustle 
in the nearest bush.” Besides the 
small native birds that are thus de- 
stroyed, this shrike is known to 
attack the English sparrows, as well 
as shrews, mice, and many kinds of 
insects. This bird breeds in New 
England and northward, building a 
bulky nest in a tree or shrub, not far 
from the ground, in which it rears 
four to six young. 
The titmice or chickadees which 
form the family Paridcz are repre- 
sented in North America by nearly a 
score of species and varieties, the 
great majority of which, however, 
are rare or only locally distributed. 
The common chickadee or black- 
capped titmouse is much the most 
familiar species in the eastern states, 
remaining with us throughout the 
year. It takes a great variety of 
food, gleaning through the winter 
from the bark and twigs of many 
sorts of trees, and in summer devour- 
ing insects of many kinds. In a 
cankerworm infested orchard sixty^- 
one per cent, of the food of two speci- 
mens consisted of these caterpillars, 
while injurious beetles constituted 
the remainder. 
In a recent investigation of the 
winter food of the chickadee the 
present writer studied the stomach 
contents of forty-one specimens taken 
