Our Exhibit of Bird Houses 



The boys in our seventh grade are urged to make bird houses 

 in the manual training shops, for two reasons : to encourage birds 

 for their economic value and to prevent boys from robbing nests 

 for it is hardly possible that a boy would destroy his pets. 



Notwithstanding that the children had been given directions 

 as to the kind of houses birds preferred, the exhibit in January 

 showed that many children think birds have the same standards of 

 judging homes that people have. There were houses that no 

 bird would live in, such as double houses, bungalows, colonial 

 mansions and cabins. Then there were the houses that received 

 blue ribbons from, the American Forestry Association because 

 they followed specifications. 



Here are some of the facts that were given them to follow. 

 Houses should not be so large that birds would be lost in them. 

 The hole must be high from the floor so that the twigs will not 

 cover it as the bird builds. There should be some way to clean 

 the house, movable roof, bottom or sides. Houses should not 

 be gaily painted but camouflaged with bark or brown paint. 

 Birds love disguised tin cans. Wrens like their houses 4" by 

 4" and 6" deep. The hole should be the size of a quarter, five 

 inches from the floor. The bluebird likes a house that is 5" by 

 5" by 8" with a hole an inch and a half in diameter. The wood-pecker 

 is a carpenter by trade so there should be some work left for him to do. 

 He likes a long deep hole with thick sides so he can chisel some 

 more. 



Each house was a thought for protecting birds and in our exhibit 

 there were 1,104 such thoughts. 



Josephine Bloodgood, Wilson Normal School 



A Few Observations On Insects. 



One day a boy friend of mine caught a praying mantis while 

 picking wild flowers. Gordon put his pet into a glass and covered 

 with a net. Each day we had the job of catching flies for its 

 meals. After we had several we put them into the crystal cage 

 and watched it enjoy them. Folding its forefeet as if in prayer 



IOO 



