. Birds in their relations to man; a manual of economic ornithology for the United States and Canada . fruit hnd the seclusion of the bushes not less agreeable thanthe good food, just at a time when both are needed. It isnot strange that so many of them desert orchard and villagetrees for the blueberry pastures when the trials of rearing theyoung are over. The black alder, of the holly family (Ilicinetc), is anotherlate-maturing berry eaten by woodpeckers and the thrushes 38 BIRDS IX THEIR RELATIONS TO MAX. and their allies. After tiie leaves have fallen the bright redcolor of the
. Birds in their relations to man; a manual of economic ornithology for the United States and Canada . fruit hnd the seclusion of the bushes not less agreeable thanthe good food, just at a time when both are needed. It isnot strange that so many of them desert orchard and villagetrees for the blueberry pastures when the trials of rearing theyoung are over. The black alder, of the holly family (Ilicinetc), is anotherlate-maturing berry eaten by woodpeckers and the thrushes 38 BIRDS IX THEIR RELATIONS TO MAX. and their allies. After tiie leaves have fallen the bright redcolor of these berries renders them very conspicuous. To usthey have an abominable taste, but evidently the birds do notdislike them. In the wooded swamps where tliey grow onemay often find robins up to the verge of winter, long afterthese birds have disappeared from the fields, subsisting almostwholly on these berries. Other members of the Ilex family,such as the holly and Cassenna, are also eaten. Among the miscellaneous small fruits devoured by birdsmust be mentioned the grapes and the berries of the Vir-. A 81RAY OF BARBEKHIKS. giiiia creeper, which are taken by woodpeckers and manyother birds. The nuilberry has many devotees, among themIIle cuckoos. Pokeweed, in spite of its poisonous properties,supplies berries for a multitude of ])irds. It is a notablefact that wherever a wood-lot is cleared, pokeweed—if itgrows anywhere in the neighborhood—is sure to spring up inabundance from seeds dropped by birds at their roosts. Par-tridge-berries, which remain unchanged through the winter,are relished by grouse and pigeons in both spring and fall. THE VEGETABLE FOOD OF BIRDS. 39 The persistent fruit of the common barberry, which along theNew England coast is thoroughly established, ministers largelyto the support of the robins, flickers, bob-whites, and ruffedgrouse that winter here. Persimmons, hackberries, spice-berries, cranberries, crowberries, sarsaparilla, greenbrier, In-dian turnip,
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbirds, bookyear1916
