272 WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



must give them the food which they like. There's 

 a pine ridge rumiing through your land, isn't 

 there?" 



"Yes, sir," the boy answered; ''it's not very 

 big, though." 



"Big enough to shelter thousands of birds," was 

 the reply, "if they can find nesting places and 

 food. Now, as you know, it would be a waste of 

 labor to plant on a pine ridge the species of trees 

 and shrubs which need a moist soil. Moreover, 

 if you think for a moment, you will realize that 

 birds eat most readily the food which grows freely 

 in the kind of neighborhood where they are ac- 

 customed to make their nests. So, to attract those 

 birds who make their nests in pine-woods, you 

 will have to plant the trees and shrubs which be- 

 long to pine lands. 



"Other birds, accustomed to dense deciduous 

 woods, require other foods. You must study their 

 habits and plant foodstuffs desirable to them. Yet 

 others, who nest in marshy country, need plants 

 that flourish best in the marshes. The same thing 

 is true of insect-eating birds, and a wise choice of 

 neighborhood will enable you to meet the tastes of 

 nearly every kind of bird. In your egg collecting 

 work you will have gained some idea in what kind 



