CAUSES FOR THE DECREASE OF SONG BIRDS i 
pole and the thrifty farmer replaces the old post. The 
birds are again homeless. 
Another large class of song birds like the robin, the 
catbird, the brown thrush, the rose-breasted grosbeak, 
and nearly all the warblers, vireos, and many native 
sparrows either nest in brush, in tangles, and on low 
trees; or they love, at least, to be near such cover. 
Where the farmer cuts down all large trees and then 
pastures his cattle on a few acres of woodland, no 
underbrush and no tangles are left. American city 
lots and parks, for the most part, at least, also furnish 
but little shrubbery and very few of those thickets in 
which the birds love to nest and to hve. The result is 
that native birds are scarce. 
2. Lack of Water. — Nearly all birds love the vicinity 
of water. They drink frequently and love to bathe on 
the shallow banks of sand and pebbles. In most 
densely settled farming regions, nearly all ponds and 
many small lakes have been drained off and many 
streams and springs have dried up, either on account of 
the general drainage or on account of the clearing away 
of timber. The duck pond of the farmer is too near 
the house, is too far from cover, and is often dry. The 
pump trough is not available for the birds, because 
they cannot reach the water from its high rim. The 
conditions in most towns and cities are still more 
unfavorable. If the town has no water-works, it is 
practically uninhabitable for most birds. If it has 
water-works, the birds can drink and bathe only where 
the hose is placed on the lawn and allowed to run 
