Rural School Leaflet 



1 109 



are often awakened to interest in work that will attract the attention of 

 the public, some competition in bird house structure among the schools 

 of a supervisory district is suggested. The bird houses might be made 

 and exhibited at the county fair, and then placed on the school grounds 

 to become well weathered before the birds return the next spring. On 

 this page will be seen an exhibition of bird houses made by the boys 

 and girls in Saratoga Springs. A thousand were completed, nine hundred 

 of which were of suitable material, and carefully made as to size, location 

 of entrance, and the like. A supervisory district could doubtless do as 

 well. There might be competitions in this work among the supervisory 

 districts in a county. Then there would be a more complete exhibition 

 of bird houces for the county fair. 



Exhibition of bird houses at Saratoga Springs 



5. The children should have knowledge of the economic importance 

 of birds, and a study of the feeding habits will help in this. They should 

 be taught to feed the birds during the winter. 



6. A collection of old nests always has an interest for the children, 

 and much can be learned from them. The care with which some of the 

 nests are made, the materials that are used, and the like, increase observa- 

 tion as the children study them. Many mounted nests were sent to the 

 State College of Agriculture for the exhibition held during Farmers' 

 Week. In giving the description of birds' nests for identification, the 

 following points, prepared by Dr. Allen, should always be considered : 



Size: 



a. Diameter, inside and outside 



b. Depth, inside and outside 



