clark] BIRD STUDY IN GRADES 209 



the prettiest and best in all the town or country round, — these 

 things in themselves are worth while. 



Then too, when a child has established a feeding place and 

 attracted birds to it he has much to tell about his chickadees, 

 downy woodpecker, and feels genuinely downhearted when they 

 accept other hospitality even for a day or two. 



The boys of one of our manual training classes took especial 

 pleasure in making the bird-houses since they were allowed to 

 formulate their own plans and to carry them to completion, much 

 to their own individual tastes. They were cautioned that the 

 wrens, small as they are, still like plenty of houseroom; that 

 English sparrows must be kept out by making the entrances no 

 larger than a quarter ; that this entrance should be about six inches 

 above the floor; birds like to enter through their window — and that 

 birds dislike paint preferring a well weathered house. After such 

 suggestions their fancies ran freely and helped them to plan houses 

 individual and beautiful while at the same time, in most eases, very 

 simple. Cracker boxes furnished much of the lumber, and bark 

 from the railroad ties much of the finish. 



There are various sources of information about bird shelters, 

 feeding shelves and houses in Bird Lore, pamphlets published by 

 the Audubon Society and many other magazines. Such furnish 

 excellent material for the reading shelf in the school room and are 

 used with no little interest. 



In teaching children to love and protect the birds it is usually 

 necessary to say but little about what should not be done if they 

 are persuaded in some way to do the things they should do. The 

 boy who makes a bird house will have more respect for birds and 

 less desire to destroy them. If children wish to encourage the 

 presence of birds about their homes they will not consciously 

 permit conditions which drive them away. But most children do 

 not realize the great damage done to birds by the housecat and the 

 stray cat, as well as the English sparrow. Boys usually show no 

 hesitation in their dealings with the English sparrow when given a 

 reasonable excuse for attack, while many girls do not object to 

 destroying their untidy nests. In regard to the cat, on the other 

 hand, there is a strong prejudice which makes instruction concern- 

 ing her relation to the birds and its solution a subject which 

 requires tact and patience and downright skill. It is difficult for 



