FRIENDS IN FEATHERS 



After that one or two deserted the circle for the box at each round 

 until the last bird disappeared. 



I am glad to own the pictures I have of them. The coming 

 summer, however, a box must be arranged with a hinged roof so 

 the young and eggs can be reproduced. One box might be 

 placed on the west side of the mill so that a focus could be had 

 on it from the barn roof. 



So far I have not been able to do w T hat is possible with Mar- 

 tins. I never shall unless some way is invented to exterminate 

 English Sparrows. But I have succeeded in enticing Martins 

 to build on our premises, affording them sufficient protection 

 to bring out large broods. With all that flock to clean pests 

 from our fruit trees and sift insect plagues from the air with 

 their queer little sieve-like throats, we were almost free from 

 mosquitoes, and what a fruit crop we had ! Summer life at the 

 Cabin would not be complete without Martins. I like to hear 

 their morning chatter, to watch their evening flight, while the 

 twitter with which they perform the business of living is all-day 

 company for me. 



'He spent every minute, when not bathing or food-hunting, doing sentinel 

 duty on the telephone wire" 



164 



