i8o 



THE GUIDE TO NATURE 



manufacturers of bird-boxes and other bird- 

 attracting apparatus in the eastern part of 

 the United States alone. 



"It has not been a great many years since 

 an estate on which pheasants and wild ducks 

 were reared was a curiosity and occasioned 

 much local comment. To-day hundreds of 

 persons are engaging in this pleasant and 



rnct^'j;>afh by Com. oi\no,: H. Graham of Mass. 



U. S. Senator George P. McLean feeding young ruffed grouse reared 

 on his estate at Simsbury, Connecticut 



profitable occupation. Naturally much well- 

 meant effort in this direction has been ill- 

 directed; and it has become evident that 

 there is great need of some one highly 

 skilled in the matter of artificial propoga- 

 tion of birds to give counsel to those desir- 

 ing to undertake an enterprise of this char- 

 acter. 



"It was to meet this demand and provide 

 expert advice for those desiring to begin 

 the raising of game-birds, or to make bird- 

 sanctuaries of their groves and fields, that 

 I arranged for the National Association of 

 Audubon Societies to establish, in 1914, its 

 'Department of Applied Ornithology.' " 



In his introduction Mr. Job points out 

 that the work of the Audubon Societies 

 looking toward the propagation of wild 

 birds is really a movement in direct line 

 with the great national desire for the con- 

 servation of the natural resources and 

 beauties of the country. Up to about 1875 

 birds of all sorts were slaughtered for food, 

 for their plumage or for the mere sport of 

 killing. But at that time the economic 

 value of bird life began to dawn upon a few 

 thoughtful minds, and the effort ever since 

 has been to prevent the useless killing of 

 birds. 



In another place he describes the joy to 

 be found in helping the birds in their un- 

 equal struggle for life: 



"Recently I sat for more than hour on 



the shore of a small pond close to several 

 species of wild ducks in all the glory of 

 their nuptial plumage. The previous_ sea- 

 son out in the wilds of northern Manitoba 

 I had hatched these ducklings in an incu- 

 bator, raised them by hand, and had 

 brought them under my personal care more 

 than two thousand miles to the spot where 

 I sat. The wonderful can- 

 vasbacks were diving and 

 eating the succulent roots 

 which they brought to the 

 surface. The light glanced 

 resplendent from their 

 delicately pencilled backs 

 and gleamed in the fiery 

 eyes of the inales. Was. 

 it tedious to sit there so 

 long in the cold April 

 wind? Nay, rather in my 

 delight I was oblivious tO' 

 the passing of time. 



"Much the same feeling 

 may be kindled when a 

 pair of bluebirds, wrens, 

 or chickadees accept our 

 hospitality and raise a 

 brood or two in one of 

 our nesting-boxes; or 

 when the chirping spar- 

 rows and phoebes use the 

 building material we have 

 put out for them, and nest 

 in the woodbine or under 

 the porch by our very 

 door." 



The author asserts that 

 the propagation of wild 

 birds for food or for other 

 practical purposes is go- 

 ing on to a greater extent 

 than ever before. He 

 showed the legitimate bas- 

 is of such propagation, and how the work of 

 the Audubon Society has created a new field 

 for scientific research. 



The book is divided into three general 

 divisions. In the' first part, "Methods with 

 Gallinaceous Birds, and Others," it treats 

 of the wild turkey, the pheasant, the pigeon. 

 In the second part, "The Propagation of 

 Wild Waterfowl," it deals with wild ducks, 

 wild geese, swans, wading birds, and sim- 

 ilar types. In the third part, "Methods with 

 the Smaller Land Birds," the person just 

 beginning the study will perhaps find the 

 most interesting material. Here the author 

 discusses such important fundamental mat- 

 ters as nesting-boxes, nesting material, 

 water supply, attractive vegetation, sup- 

 pression of enemies, etc. 



The book is profousely illustrated with 

 excellent photographs that have not only 

 artistic merit, but well illustrate the practi- 

 cal parts of the subject. 



From the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station at Madras, India, comes the 

 report of successful experiments on 

 feeding cattle with dried fish. The diet 

 is by no means ideal, but serves to 

 keep the creatures alive when the 

 grass fails. 



