JSv tlbe TClavetbe 
OFFICIAL ORGAN OP I HL WISCONSIN, ILLINOIS AND MICHIGAN AUDUBON SOCIETIES 
>ne Year 25 Cents 
Single Copy 5 Cents 
Published by the Wisconsin Audubon Society at Madison, Wisconsin 
Entered as second class matter August 23, 1909, at Madison, Wis., under the act of Congress of March 3, 1879 
r Ob. XIII. 
DECEMBER, 1911 
NO. 4 
i* 
f 
THE SPURVE-STANG (Sparrow Pole) 
A Christmas Feeding of Sparrows in Scandinavia 
H. L. Skavlem, Janesville, Wis. 
Of late, considerable note has been 
iven to the beautiful Scandinavian 
ustoin of feeding the birds at Clirist- 
las time. By some it lias been con- 
trued to mean winter feeding of the 
• 
irds. This is an error, for I know 
acre is no custom of systematic feed- 
ig of the wild birds during the long 
old winter months in Scandinavia, 
'he Christmas feasting or feeding the 
ild birds is a very ancient custom and 
as been handed down from pagan 
mes, but no special bird was chosen. 
The old feasting and rejoicing at 
Tile-tide signaled the return of the 
m and the lengthening of the days, 
hen all nature should rejoice and be 
lade happy. 
In Ins description of Christmas cus- 
>ms in Norway, Du Chaillu says, ‘‘The 
hristmas feeding of the birds is prev¬ 
ent in many of the provinces of Nor¬ 
ay and Sweden. Bunches of oats 
’o placed on the roofs of houses or 
cos and fences for them to feed upon, 
wo or thre days before, cartloads of 
eaves are brought into the towns for 
is purpose and both rich and poor 
ly and place them everywhere. 
“Large quantities of oats in bundles 
*re on sale in Christiania and every- 
>dy bought bunches of them 
1 remember well the remarks of a 
friend of mine as we were driving 
through the streets of Christiania. lie 
said, with deep feeling, ‘TV man must 
he very poor indeed if he cannot spare 
a farthing to feed the little birds on 
Christmas dav. 7 ’ 
“What a pleasing picture it is to see 
the little creatures fly around or perch 
on the thickest part of the straw and 
pick out the grain. It is a beautiful 
custom and speaks well for the natural 
goodness of heart of the Scandinavians. 
“On this day, on many a farm, the 
dear old horse, the young colt, the cat¬ 
tle, the sheep, the goats and even the 
pigs get double the usual amount of 
food given them, and have so much that 
often they cannot eat it all.”—Land of 
the Midnight Sun, Vol. 2, p. 6. 
It will readily be understood that 
the introduction and adoption of this 
custom would have no direct effect on 
the protection of wild bird life. The 
one big meal on Christmas day would 
not save the starving birds throughout 
the void and dreary winter months. 
It has seemed to me inconsistent for 
naturalists and Audubon societies to 
advocate the Christmas feast for spar¬ 
rows, and at the same time to publish 
recipes for poisoning sparrows, and 
