No 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. ()13 



fe'ators are doing along this line before putting statements into the 

 bulletins. This is vei y necessary-, and while we are working along 

 this line, we shall publish statements on all families and all species 

 of birds, known in this State before the series of bulletins is com- 

 pleted. W'e do not, of course, have it complete in ever}' detail, 

 and shall publish other parts in our quarterly bulletins of the Di- 

 vision of Zoology of the Department of Agriculture. 



Fourth. Making experiments. We have experimented with boxes 

 for birds' nests, and have found that the blue birds and house wrens 

 have brought forth two broods each year in the same boxes at our 

 own residence. I shall now refer to the boxes erected for their nest- 

 ing. The hole in the box for the wrens may be one and one-eighth 

 (1^) inches in diameter, and the English sparrow will not enter there- 

 in; but the hole for the blue bird must be at least two and one-half 

 (2^) inches, and then the English sparrow will enter unless it be kei)t 

 out by man. There are several species of birds that can be induced 

 to nest in boxes thus provided for them, and the results of our ex- 

 periments may bo had in our bulletin for May, which is to be ob- 

 tained by applying to the office of the Economic Zoologist. 



Fifth. Collecting information and other means. I am firm in the 

 belief that the only way to obtain proper scientific knowledge 

 is for the naturalist or scientist to make investigations for himself, 

 and to interpret by his trained mind the facts, which he ma}^ see in 

 the various fields, orchards and woods. It also becomes necessary 

 for the scientist to call upon the experiences of others at times, and 

 to try to learn from them such facts as may be useful. For this 

 reason a few circulars containing questions have been issued, and 

 returned to us bv the citizens of this State. These are filed, and 

 their facts will be considered in the future publications of the Orni- 

 thologist. However, there has been issued, from a source not con- 

 nected with our office, a circular calling for information of our Penn- 

 sylvania birds, which tlirough tlie very nature of the statement of 

 the questions may be misleading, and since several members of the 

 Board have asked us how to answer these questions, we shall take 

 pleasure in showing them the printed an«w'ers in publications from 

 Washington, D. C, and elsewhere. 



Six. Speaking or lecturing. The Ornithologist has been called 

 many times to speak or lecture on the subject of "Bird Protection," 

 and as a consequence, we can say that our citizens are becoming 

 more thoughtful along this line, and there is evidence that our labors 

 have not been in vain, and that they have done good for the Com- 

 monwealth. Among the places wliere we have spoken upon such 

 subjects are several Teachers 'Institutes, Clubs, Grange meetings, 

 Farmers' Institutes, the annual meeting of the American Ornitholo- 

 gists Fnion in Philadelphia last fall, Natural History Society, etc. 



