264 BIRD FRIENDS 



such as tangles of shrubs and vines, furnish retreats 

 for many of the smaller birds when pursued by 

 hawks; and serve as a shelter for winter birds. 



Planting for nesting-sites. While occasionally 

 some birds seem to show a preference for some par- 

 ticular kind of tree or shrub in which to place their 

 nests, usually it is a question of the general locality, 

 with its surroundings and the food and protection 

 given, which decides the bird in its selection of a 

 nesting-site. Hence those plants which will best 

 serve the purpose of food and shelter will also fur- 

 nish nesting-sites. A number of trees and tangles 

 of shrubbery, thickly overgrown with vines, furnish 

 the needed conditions for nesting-sites, provided 

 the other factors are favorable. If hedges are sub- 

 stituted for fences, they may furnish nesting-sites 

 and at the same time serve as a means of orna- 

 mentation. 



Planting for food. In selecting plants the ques- 

 tion of food should receive first consideration. Some 

 of our birds feed quite largely on fruits in their 

 season, and a large number of them select fruits as 

 a small part, at least, of their diet. 



The birds which feed to a considerable extent on 

 wild fruit are arranged in the following table in the 

 order of the percentage which this forms of their 

 whole food. These figures are taken from the re- 

 ports of the United States Bureau of Biological 

 Survey: — 



