prowling cat. Above all, one should not handle eggs or young birds, or the 

 parents will be quite likely to forsake them. Several good books on eggs and 

 nests are available and repay study. 



Recognition of bird songs is difficult unless one has a keen appreciation 

 of pitch and rhythm. Much time spent in actual observation of singing birds 

 is the only way to acquire a real knowledge of their songs. Books are not of 

 great value here, since the voice mechanism of the bird is anatomically dif' 

 ferent from that of the other animals, so that ordinary musical notation is ah 

 together inadequate. Words or phrases are often used to represent songs, 

 but are usually of little value except as a convenient method of recalling to 

 one something that he already knows. With the exception of a few calls 

 such as those of the whip'poor'will or bob-white, the commonly printed phrases, 

 such as the ''more wet wetter wet chee zee" given for the white-crowned 

 sparrow, are of little use to the beginner. Accurate human imitations of bird 

 songs are now available on phonograph records. Recently there have appeared 

 on the market records of actual recordings of wild birds' songs, made 

 under the guidance of noted ornithologists of Cornell University and the 

 American Museum. These records, although somewhat marred by the un- 

 preventable inclusion of the noise of the recording apparatus, are highly re 

 commended and give a useful foundation for field study. 



Two activities which can be carried on in almost any locality and which 

 are of much help in encouraging local bird life are winter and spring feeding, 

 and providing nesting sites and shelters. Food is often needed during deep 

 snows and after sleet storms, especially in early spring when the migrants 

 may be returning slightly ahead of favorable weather and, in some cases, weak 

 from long flights. Suet, doughnuts, bird-seed and breadcrumbs are all wel- 

 come. Wild birds should not be expected to come readily to a window shelf 

 or other open location where their instincts or experiences warn them that 

 danger may lurk. The best place for a feeding station is near bushy shrub- 

 bery, through which the birds may approach and to which they may retreat, 

 if alarmed. Metal feeding trays or racks should not be used in freezing 

 temperatures. The furnishing of suitable nesting sites has become necessary 

 in many localities because pruning, tree surgery, and elimination of bushy 

 hedges have resulted in a shortage of natural nesting sites. This has possibly 

 had as much to do with the decrease of such birds as the bluebird as has the 

 introduction of such forms as the European house sparrow. Both the familiar 

 box type and the equally useful shelf or open type are needed, and should be 

 of subdued color, provided with drainage, and placed at suitable heights for 

 the particular kinds of birds they are designed to harbor. Dimensions of 

 boxes and proper locations and heights are given in many bird books and in 

 state and federal bulletins. It should be remembered that, if such pugnacious 

 birds as the house sparrow and the house wren are encouraged to nest in a 



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