"iVi.i ' Bbrotold, A Study of the House Finch. 41 



similar food and drinking dishes, there are special nesting facilities 

 arranged for the birds. During the lirst year of this special study 

 the nesting boxes were nailed to the house wall, and were very 

 shallow. While such boxes gave the Pinches ample opportunity 



for nesting, and were well patronized, it. was soon seen that the 

 shallow character allowed too easy access to the nest, a condition 



promptly utilized by the English Sparrow, to the great distress 

 of the Finches, and the detriment of their nests, eggs, and young. 



It was also soon learned that boxes fastened to the house did not. 

 lend themselves to close and rapid inspection of nests, etf^s, or 

 young. Consequently, after the lirst, trials, such nesting boxes 

 as wc^re under a small sharply pitched overhanging cave, were of 

 Hat cigar boxes, placed <>n shelves firmly fastened to the house, 



provision being made to prevent the box being blown from the 

 shelf, and the whole structure SO placed that there was only enough 

 room above the nest-box to admit a small bird, and no more. 



By this arrangement the boxes could be lifted oil' the shelf from a 



near-by window, and taken into the house for a brief inspection. 

 It also gave the Finches some advantage in fighting off the destruc- 

 tive English Sparrow in its persistent raids on their nests. 



Those nesting boxes which were placed under a. broad horizontal 

 overhanging eave were made in two sections, a smaller inner nest- 

 ing box telescoping from below into a large outer box, the latter 

 being securely attached to the wall of the house. The inner box 

 sliding upward into the outer box formed for it a false bottom, as 

 it were, ami was kept from dropping down by suitably arranged 

 hooks. The top of the assembled box was partly closed over by a 



cover, an arrangement quite necessary in order that the Finches 



mighl put up a better fight against the English Sparrow when it 

 entered from above. These lirst deep boxes were provided with 

 small holes in the sides for ventilation, but this was later found 



not only unnecessary, but positively harmful, as it permitted late 



snow or cold rains to beat in on the eggs or voting, causing consid- 

 erable loss of both. These deeper nesting boxes were also of 



advantage in preventing the young from flying too early and l>\ the 



time they were able to fly from (Ik- nest to the box lop (about f> 

 inches), they had learned pretty well how to manage their wings, 

 and were able to go, on the first flight from the nest, to nearby 



