IXTRODUCTIUX 



xiu 



There are some kinds of birds that, as far as we know their histon,-, have always built 

 their nests in the holes of trees. Woodpeckers have strong chisel-shaped bills and are able to 

 excavate nesting cavities, but there are others that do not possess such powers. These must 

 depend on finding the abandoned hole of some Woodpecker, or the natural hollow of some 

 tree. It not infrequently happens that such birds are obliged to search far and wide for a 

 hole in which they can make their abode. It is the custom of those who take care of lawns 

 and city parks to chop away and remove all dead limbs or trees that may die. As there are 

 ver>- few Woodpeckers that ever attempt to dig a nesting hole in living trees, such work of 

 the axeman means that when the season comes for the rearing of young, all mated Wood- 

 peckers must move on to where more natural 

 conditions await them. This results in an 

 abnormal reduction of the number of holes for 

 the use of the weaker billed hole-nesting species 

 which must now seek for the few available 

 hollows and knot-holes. But even these places 

 are often taken away from them for along 

 comes the tree doctor, who on the pretext of 

 aiding to presen.^e the trees, fills up the 

 natural openings with cement and the birds 

 are literally left out in the cold. It is plain 

 to see, therefore, that one reason why many 

 birds do not remain in our towns through the 

 spring months, is due to the absence of places 

 where they may lay their eggs and rear their 

 young. 



To overcome this difficulty the Audubon 

 Society several years ago began to advocate 

 the building and erection of suitable nesting 

 boxes, and to-day the practice is gaining wide 

 usage. More people ever>^ year are putting 

 such boxes upon poles or nailing them to trees 

 about their homes, and city authorities in some 

 instances now include bird-boxes among the 

 annual expenditures in the care of their parks. 

 Some of the boxes that may be purchased are 

 very ornate and make beautiful additions even 

 to the most carefully kept estates. One may 

 buy these boxes at prices varying from thirty- 

 five cents to thirty-five dollars each. It is 

 not necessary, however, to buy the boxes to be put up for birds. Equally useful ones may 

 readily be made in the Manual Training Department of the school, or in the basement or 

 wood-shed at home. If one does not know how to begin one may buy a bird-box, or write 

 to the Audubon Society for a free circular of directions, and construct similar ones for him- 

 self. People sometimes make the mistake of thinking it is absolutely necessary- that such 

 boxes should conform strictly to certain set dimensions. Remember, however, that the 

 cavities in trees and stumps which the birds naturally use, show a wide variety of size, shape 

 and location. A large, commodious, many-roomed, and well painted Martin house, makes 

 a pleasing appearance on the landscape, but it may not be attractive to the Martins. As a 

 boy I built up a colony of more than fifteen pairs of these birds by the simple device of rudely 

 partitioning a couple of soap boxes. The openings of the different rooms were neither uniform 

 in size or shape, but were such as an untrained boy would cut out with a hatchet. A dozen 



Photo by .\. A. Allen 



HOUSE WREN 

 Building its nest in a nesting box on a porch 



