24 



On the Construction of Houses. 



I have constructed a dozen or more bird-houses, besides 

 those shown in the engravings, and, in each case, have fol- 

 lowed the architectural design of some building, making the 

 box the model of some residence or other building. 



House No. i, used by my martins, is a four-gabled, twenty 

 roomed structure with central cupola and fdur chimneys. No. 

 2 represents a miniature residence and contains thirty-four 

 rooms. No. 3, contains forty-five rooms, and is patterned 

 something after the Pennsylvania State building at the World's 

 Fair at Chicago. 



Owing to the manner in constructing the houses the rooms 

 vary greatly in size, but none are less than fiv inches square 

 and six inches high, and none are larger than six by seven by 

 eight inches. Nearly all the rooms in house No. 3, are four 

 and one-half inches wide, seven inches high and eight inches 

 deep. Entrances to the rooms are made to represent the 

 open lower half of windows and measure two and one half 

 inches square. Round opening are made two and three-fourth 

 inches in diameter. Only one opening is cut into a single room. 

 The birds will not build their nests in rooms with more than 

 one entrance, without first obstructing one opening with mud. 



Clean poplar lumber should be used in all exposed portions 

 and the bottom should be double thickness, of % inch oak. 

 The mode of attaching to the top end of the pole is by means 

 of four angle irons screwed to the bottom of the box and to 

 the sides of the pole. Or when an iron pipe is used, the angle 

 irons are riveted to a piece of wood, and made small enough 

 to slip down into the pipe. 



House No. 3, shown on plates, weighs about two hundred 

 and fifty pounds exclusive of the pole, which is of four inch gas 

 pipe. This one is provided with a large hinge, near the ground, 

 which enables me to lower the house in the fall and place it in 

 the dry during the winter. 



