956 Rural School Leaflet 



should be placed less than a foot beneath some projecting roof or other 

 shelter. 



The buildings of our forefathers were full of nooks and crannies where 

 wrens and bluebirds liked to nest ; the orchards were not so scrupulously 

 pruned, and woodpeckers found plenty of dead limbs in which to drill 

 their holes. To-day we must provide artificial nesting sites to take the 

 place of these natural ones, if we wish to have the birds about us as they 

 used to be. 



Some birds, notably wrens and bluebirds, will avail themselves of any- 

 thing in the way of a shelter which you see fit to put up; while others, 

 such as woodpeckers and nuthatches, are more particular and require 

 something more natural in the form of a hollow limb. The chief difficulty 

 will be not in the construction of the boxes nor in attracting the birds, but 

 in keeping out the English sparrows. These interlopers are ever present 

 and ready to begin building as soon as the box is in place. Needless to 

 say, you do not wish these rascals, but prefer our native birds. There is 

 no sure way of keeping them out except by hanging the box on wires so 

 that it swings freely in the wind. The objection to this box is that it 

 proves less inviting to our native birds, and so should be attempted only 

 as a last resort. One meets with greatest success with boxes placed on 

 exposed poles or in trees, with the opening no larger than is necessary for 

 our native birds: one and a half inch for swallows and bluebirds, smaller 

 for wrens and chickadees. 



The box. — No money need be expended on this. Old, weather-beaten 

 timber is more attractive to the birds than smooth, painted boards. The 

 best boxes will be made from sections of a hollow limb, covered above 

 and below by weathered boards with a hole drilled near the top of one 

 side. Artificial limbs can be made from bark or by hollowing out solid 

 branches with the bark still attached. Old boxes, or new ones made for 

 the purpose, are next best. For the smaller birds, such as chickadees, 

 wrens, bluebirds, and tree swallows, the boxes should measure not more 

 than 12x5x6 inches, and they may be considerably smaller to advan- 

 tage. The ordinary crayon box of the schoolroom is very serviceable, 

 but requires reinforcing with wire or nails so as to withstand the weather. 



The box shown in the illustration is a crayon box, with an additional 

 roof of tin from an old can used because of the leaky condition of the 

 box. Cigar boxes and codfish boxes are generally less satisfactory than 

 odorless ones, and all bright surfaces should be avoided. A box with the 

 top or one side hinged is better for observation, but care should be used 

 to keep it permanently fastened. 



Old teakettles, tin funnels, and cans of various sorts have been used by 

 some persons with success, but the box is more sightly and usually more 

 attractive to the birds. The opening should be made circular or square, 



