May. 1920] 



The Canadian Field-Naturalist 



85 



bird has to stay on the job in order to get a meal. 

 Also in putting out nuts for the Chickadees and 

 Nuthatches see that these are reduced to a fine 

 powder. 



You will have special spots for your fat. The 

 best way to fix this is to take a nail, say a thret^ 

 inch nail, cut the head off thus making a point at 

 both ends, drive one end into the tree or the place 

 where the fat is to be put, leaving the longer por- 

 tion sticking out and sloping upward. The fat can 

 easily be shoved on to this spike which will remain 

 permanently in position. 



To tame birds it is necessary to proceed by 

 slow degrees. The birds must first become familiar 

 with the general surroundings, and then they can 

 be gradually brought to the window by getting them 

 acquainted with a special feeding dish, and placing 

 this a little nearer the window each day. After they 

 have become accustomed to the window sill they 

 can be tamed to feed from the hand by proceeding 

 in the same slow, progressive way. If we are to 

 keep the birds continually about we must have some 

 feeding devices which will keep a supply of food 

 always accessible. 



A seed or grain hopper surrounded by a covered 

 tray is a device which should be at every feeding 

 station. 



Mr. W. Saunders' upside-down feeding slab 

 is contrived to protect the food from snow and 

 rain. I have made one by fastening cork bark to 

 a piece of board, this bark being very rough is es- 

 pecially adapable for the purpose. 



The fat is slightly warm and is then pressed Into 

 all the holes and crevices of the bark. This slab 

 is much used by Chickadees, Nuthatches and Wood- 

 peckers, and is indispensible in rough weather. 



An exceedingly useful addition to our outfit is a 

 variant of Mr. Saunders' upside-down feeding slab; 

 this is made by adding sides about one inch deep to 



the plain board. This when filled with melted fat, 

 and nuts, if desired, provides a large bulk of food. 



The wired dish is a new idea which has been 

 tested only this winter. It is the invenion of Mrs. 

 J. S. Berry, and her experience, which tallies with 

 my own, is that the Chicadees enter it with perfect 

 fearlessness. 



The chief point in this dish is that the meshes 

 formed by the crossing wires will admit a Chicadee 

 but are too small to admit a Sparrow. 



The bird curate is the most satisfactory of all our 

 feeding appliances, for the reason that it affords 

 such ample accommodation. It is no uncommon 

 thing to have twelve to fifteen birds feeding at 

 once on the different sections. To secure this it is 

 of course necessary to use finely powdered food, 

 which requires that the bird stay on the spot in order 

 to get a meal. This accustoms them to our person 

 and our movements and has a great influence in 

 taming them. 



The feeding log is another of Mr. Saunders' in- 

 ventions, the essential principle of which is that it 

 shall hang by string or wire so that it oscillates with 

 the breeze or the motion of the birds. Sparrows 

 have a decided objection to feeding from a moving 

 object, and until they cure themselves of this idiosyn- 

 ocrasy we can take advantage of it to avoid having 

 them steal the expensive food that we provide for 

 our native friends. There remains the additional 

 advantage that we can use these sparrow-proof de- 

 vices further down in the garden, until such time as 

 the Sparrows decide to assist in the destruction of 

 the food thus provided. 



Have a feeding station. The birds will repay your 

 kindness with their friendly confidence. Making 

 friends with the birds brings us closer to the great 

 world of nature about us, which is so full of won- 

 derful blessings. 



