76 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



wrens, bluebirds, white-bellied swallows and purple martins. A pre- 

 liminary report on this experiment will ba found in my annual report 

 for 1902, showing that almost immediately the wrens took advantage 

 of these boxes and a marked increase in their numbers followed. This 

 species has continued to increase in the most gratifying manner so 

 that whereas in 1896 we knew of but two pairs nesting on the college 

 campus, during the present summer (1907) not less than twenty pairs 

 were nesting in the same area. Most of these wrens rear two broods 

 each season, so that the campus is now fairly supplied with these delight- 

 ful little songsters, and they are yearly becoming more abundant in the 

 surrounding country. 



In spite of all our efiforts English sparrows occupied both the large 

 martin houses erected on poles, and neither white-bellied swallows nor 

 martins obtained a foothold for several years. This however was due in 

 part to the location of the boxes, which had been relegated to obscure 

 places among tall trees so as not to be conspicuous. Three years ago 

 the spruces surronding one of these boxes were beheaded and trimmed 

 so as to allow free access, and almost immediately two pairs of martins 

 occupied two of the compartments and -at least six young were reared. 

 The following spring 12 or 14 pairs took possession of the house and 

 reared their young without accident, and during the present summer 

 almost every compartment (nearly thirty) was occupied. 



As yet no white-bellied swallows have been induced to nest on the 

 campus, but the fact that a single pair nested in a box on a fence- 

 post in the orchard indicates that if the English sparrows could be 

 properly reduced in numbers the swallows might return in numbers. 



The facts with regard to the bluebird are less encouraging. They 

 appear in numbers each spring and frequently inspect nesting-boxes, 

 some of which are occupied by sparrows and some empty. After a 

 while however they disappear, and so far as we can learn not a single 

 pair has nested on the campus during the last ten years. There have 

 been nests however each season in boxes a few hundred yards off the 

 campus, as well as in orchards in the adjoining grounds, and some other 

 explanation than the presence of the English sparrows would seem to be 

 necessary. After careful investigation we feel confident that the ab- 

 sence of the bluebird is due in large part to the red squirrel, which 

 is abundant all over the college campus and is an inveterate enemy 

 of all birds which nest in natural cavities or in boxes. Whenever a 

 nesting box is hung or nailed on a tree the squirrels find it and event- 

 ually destroy the eggs or young. When placed upon a building in such 

 a position that squirrels cannot reach it the English sparrow recognizes 

 the superiority of location and takes and holds the box with the utmost 

 tenacity. We are loth to recommend the extermination of the squirrels, 

 yet in view of the fact that they eat large numbers of robins, catbirds, 

 chipping sparrows and other valuable birds each season it seems un- 

 wise to permit them to multiply unchecked. At present their only 

 serious enemies appear to be domestic cats, which are far too numerous, 

 and screech owls, which are far from abundant. The latter of course 

 deserve protection, since they eat large numbers of mice of various kinds 

 and also prey regularly on English sparrows, but the time is not 

 far distant when the cat problem will compel attention. In the writer's 

 opinion it is not too soon now to enact a statute requiring owners to 



