The Making of Birdcraft Sanctuary 273 



ditions; though, of course, due allowance must be made in the reproduction 

 for the difSculty of photographing it under rather confusing electric light 

 inside the case. 



The vexed question of placing name-cards on the birds in the pictures has 

 been settled in the negative. The Warden is in the Museum on the days 

 when it is open, and not only answers questions, but gives all the informa- 

 tion possible about habits, housing, feeding, etc., while, to supplement this, a 

 substantial screen tilling the middle of the room, holds the framed pic- 

 tures from The Birds of New York done by Fuertes, so that children can plav 

 a sort of game by choosing a bird in the case and finding its mate in the picture. 



This is the brief record of the year of Birdcraft 's beginning. We never 

 expect to find startling discoveries in its day-book, or to harbor within its 

 gates anything but the normal, but we hope that the output of its nests 

 (fifty-two located and others not found this season) will overflow into the 

 garden homes round about, and that its object lessons in the ways of housing, 

 feeding, etc., may have a state-wide influence for the cause of song-bird 

 Sanctuaries and the happiness that their construction will bring to both birds 

 and people. 



As I write, the Warden phones to say that a Great Blue Heron is 

 standing immovable by the pond's edge. Did it know that, three days ago, a 

 pail of fish was donated to us by the Director of the New York Aquarium? Or 

 did it make the visit merely on general principles? 



Birdcraft is only ten acres large, and yet the vista through it is both wide 

 and long; we have as yet only opened its gate to the beyond, and it is for us 

 to make good in traveling a path where the stepping-stones all take the form 

 of question marks. 



