BY THE WAYSIDE 
51 
[This is the first of a series of lessons on 
nature study topics by Miss Ruth Mar¬ 
shall, instructor in Nature Study in the 
University of Nebraska. Subscribers to 
the Wayside are invited to write out 
these lessons and to send them to the 
author. If it seems advisable; comments 
upon these replies will be made in the 
next issue and some of the best work 
printed. Miss Marshall’s address is 
* . T 
Nebraska Universitv, Lincoln. Neb. 
Winter Birds. 
it* 
Winter is the best time of year to be¬ 
am to studv birds; for then thev are few 
in number and there is no foliage to ob¬ 
struct the view. Begin with those about 
home; then extend your study as far 
afield as possible, visiting frequently 
quiet, sheltered places, such as the banks 
of wooded streams. Be quiet in your 
movements when watching a bird, and 
never walk directly toward it. Carry a 
note-book with you and jot down at the 
time as many as possible of the following 
points about each kind of bird; size, 
shape of the bill, color of the upper and 
under sides of the body, prominent mark- 
ings such as wing bars, spots or lines on 
the breast, head or tail. Note their calls. 
What do they seem to be doing? Write 
out a brief, accurate description of all 
of the kinds that you find during the 
month. Add the names, if possible. 
One of the many good bird books on the 
market is invaluable for identification, 
aud an opera glass is. a great help. Some 
of the common birds to be found at this 
time of the year in Wisconsin are the 
blue-jav, brovyn-creeper, junco, white¬ 
breasted puthatcb, snow, bunting, horned 
lark, crow 1 , herringrgull, downy and hairy 
woodpeckers, chickadee. 
Find out from vour own observations 
whether the birds that you are observing 
are seed eaters or insectivorous. Which 
kind is most valuable to man? Are 
there enough birds? Arethereanv birds 
that are undersirable? Why? What do 
you think is the chief reason why there 
are not more birds in winter? Have you 
ever tried to attract birds about the 
home? What success did you have? 
Try to provide food for them bv tying 
pieces of bone or suet to the limbs of 
trees in sheltered places where the birds 
will not be disturbed; place cracked 
nuts, table scraps and seeds in baskets or 
upon shelves attached to tree trunks or 
posts. Give the results of this work. 
R. M. 
Damage to garden fruits by birds is a 
matter about which we may be greatly 
mistaken. I have four large cherry 
trees about the house, and robins have 
i 
swarmed in them in cherrv time; but I 
have little evidence that they have taken 
much more than the wormv cherries. 
•/ , 
The charge is often made that they pick 
holes in the ripest, finest cherries; but 
may not these be just the ones that have 
grubs in them? Last year the way the 
robins behaved was most interesting and 
suggestive. They literally stormed the 
trees by dozens before the cherries were 
fairly rips, just as the first premature, 
wormy cherries were turning red; but 
after this, for three weeks, while the 
fruit hung rich and black, I did not see 
a robin in the trees, and the cherries 
were remarkably free from worms.— Prof. 
Hodge , C ark University. 
• n ‘\.* s *' . 
* f ^ ; *<[) , J. „ 
Motto of the ; magazine Bird-Lore: U A 
bird'in the bush is worth two in the 
hand.” 
