Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-02-29

gested that these spaces would look so unnatural that most birds would be | suspicious and would keep away on general principles The results have shown that in future no one need al- low such doubts to deter them from handling a snow shovel in this good cause; whatever suspicious the birds may have had, they evidently laid them aside very promptly, and took care that whatever other evils might befall, death by starvation should be avoided.
 In my own town, Stoneham, Mass, 40 men and boys, mostly students of the high school, in one morning estab- nshed about 50 feeding stations for the birds over an area of about ten square miles, and in many cases there were immediate results. The leader of one squad reported that at one point, even as the grain was being scattered on the uncovered ground, a flock of 20 quail approached within six feet of the relief party, and moved away only be- cause a newspaper representative who was present tried to get too close snap shot of them. This flock of quail re- turned to the spot the next day, and with unmolested, it is not to be doubted that they will visit this feeding station as often as they find themselves in need of food
 Personally, I was present at. the es- tablishment of eight feeding stations, and when I inspected these the next day I found that every one of them had been visited by birds. Judging by the foot prints in and about the cleared spaces, two had been patronized by crows only, but small birds were feed ing or had been feeding at all the others. At one place two blue jays were enjoying themselves, hopping about and filling their throats and bills with cracked corn, afterwards flying off with their cargoes. At another point saw mixed flock of 20 juncos and tree sparrows; at another flock of ten tree sparrows with a house sparrow among them, and at still another there was a flock of 30 snow buntings. At one place where suet had been tied to the branches and trunk of tree, there was a flock of eight chicadees, all busy eating or carrying away little Jumps to store in the bark of other trees, and not far off, on the side of road, a red breasted nuthatch was hammering viz orously at 8 piece of frozen fat which he had discovered nailed to branch Reports from other members of the relief party showed that of the 20 feed ing stations inspected within 48 hours aft~s their establishment, there were only two which did not show signs Of having been visited by birds. One of the two cannot properly be counted, as it consisted of a quantity of suet which, to all appearances, had been carried off by red squirrel. Many birds were seen in the act of feeding, tree sparrows, juncos, chickadees, house sparrows and snow buntings having been observed in the greatest numbers.
 That this movement has been spread ing from the start, and that it is still spreading rapidly, is due very largely to the efforts of the press, Editors all over the country, realizing that an eff fort to save the wild birds was of na- tional importance, have given, and are still giving, to the subject an amount of space out of all proportion to it's actual news value Marked copies of papers are coming in from everywhere showing that not only have articles and editorials been written concerning the best way to relieve the birds, but that these articles and editorials have been copied and recopied by the pa- pers which were unable to get the facts at first hand. That this good work of the press is bearing the fruit it deserves, is evidenced by the num- bers of letters which reach us here from people who have read of the work done in other places, and who are now doing all they can in their own part of the country And their efforts are, fin many cases, being directly rewarded, by a closer friendship with the birds themselves One iady writes that "her" ,chickadees have become so tame that they alight upon her hand to be fed, and a man reports that 8 flock of snow buntings which feed on hay-seed scat tered for them on the lawn, actually fly toward him when they see him coming.
 ERNEST HAROLD BAYNEs