290 BIRD FRIENDS 



Feeding the winter birds. The introductory work 

 to feeding the winter birds should be done in the 

 late fall. A talk on the food of birds may be 

 given, so as to bring out the two classes of foods, 

 animal and vegetable. The kinds of food to put 

 out and the methods of putting it out may be dis- 

 cussed. The necessity of providing a constant supply 

 of food should be emphasized, and also of seeing that 

 there is a good supply immediately after a snow- 

 storm. The children may occasionally be reminded 

 of the feeding so that they will not neglect it too 

 long. The possibility of taming the birds to feed 

 from the hand should be brought to the children's 

 attention. The construction of winter-feeding de- 

 vices, as suggested in Chapter XX, may be made 

 a part of the manual-training work. 



And while the children are being encouraged to 

 feed the birds at home, a lunch-counter may be 

 provided in the school-yard if the conditions will 

 allow it. Committees may be appointed among the 

 children to see that the counter is provided with 

 food. 



While the two methods of attracting birds al- 

 ready mentioned are the ones best adapted for school 

 use, something may also be done in the line of en- 

 couraging the children to provide fountains. The 

 planting of shrubs requires so long before the re- 

 turns come in that this method of attracting birds 

 will not appeal to children, but they may be en- 



