Do Not Feed Birds Is it wise, is it kind
to feed our garden birds in spring-time ? An answer to such a question is needed. Birds are never so hungry as in very early spring. Among the duck it is a common fatality that the young perish of starvation. They are hatched so early that they anticipate the emergence of their proper food. The insects have not hatched nor the frogs spawned. This, of course, is an exceptional experience ; but as the tide of life rises and winter lethargy (as well as winter fat) is cast off more food becomes necessary, and it is often hard to come by. The snails have not come out of hibernation nor have chrysalises broken. It would therefore seem both kind and wise to feed the birds freely when spring is young, but circumstances soon change. "March browns come to the surface of the water ; green fly multiplies on our roses and green caterpillars mount the oak trees. Insects are the proper food of almost all young birds, even of sparrows and partridges. The more insect food they get the better both for them and for us. Most of us, from Bismarck downwards, have spent time in counting the number of times a pair of tits bring caterpillars to their young or have marvelled at the number of flies that are carried in a mother robin's beak. There is doubtless no harm in giving the seed- eaters a little seed and the nut-eaters a few nuts, but most feeding of birds is a work of supererogation after the third week of April (the usual date of the big immigration) and may interfere with the beneficent work of insect destruction. There are perhaps a few exceptional cases. I remember one robin that would almost mob you for food. It would take crumbs from anyone's hand and seemed absolutely insatiable. Its hunger became a byword, but it was discovered at last that the robin was feeding a young cuckoo. Whether the young cuckoo suffered indigestion from such fare is not known.
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