BIRD-PROTECTION IN THE SCHOOLS 287 



furthermore, an excellent opportunity is offered for 

 watching the birds that may come in response to 

 the attractions offered. These observations will be 

 carried on with much greater ardor and thorough- 

 ness because the child has himself helped to furnish 

 the conditions which make his observations possible. 



Nesting-houses. Perhaps there is no one line of 

 work that interests the children so much as the 

 making of bird-houses, especially in the primary and 

 intermediate grades. Even very young children are 

 interested, and when they are too small to make the 

 houses themselves, some one of the family at home 

 may help them. The houses can be built at home 

 or in the manual-training department. Children 

 may be asked to bring materials, and then some 

 one may help them in the manual-training shops. 

 Many children may be interested to the point where 

 they will make houses at home. As an added in- 

 centive the children may be asked to bring their 

 houses to school on a certain day, so that a picture 

 of the children with their houses may be taken. 



The matter may be brought to the attention of 

 the children in the early spring. The subject may be 

 introduced by a general discussion of the nesting- 

 habits of those birds that nest in hollow trees or other 

 cavities. The children should be asked to search 

 the neighborhood to ascertain to what extent these 

 natural nesting-sites may be found. In many locali- 

 ties these have been entirely cleared away in the 



