CHAPTER II 



PROVIDE NESTING BOXES, AND DO NOT CUT DOWN 

 EVERY HOLLOW TREE 



General Directions. The best way to attract those 

 birds that breed in hollow trees and in other cavities, 

 is to allow old hollow trees to remain. Should a dead 

 tree disfigure your place, plant wild grape vine, Vir- 

 ginia creeper, or some other suitable climbing vine near 

 it ; the vines will soon cover it, you keep the birds, and 

 they are not compelled to go house hunting, which they 

 like no better than men. 



Where no hollow trees and posts exist, we must help 

 out by nesting boxes. Set your boys and girls to make 

 these boxes and I must be much mistaken, if such work 

 will not make them real and enthusiastic bird protectors. 

 In most cases it will however be necessary that an older 

 person direct the work and assist in it. By far the 

 best material for bird boxes are sections of hollow 

 trunks and limbs, having a cavity from 3 to 8 

 inches in diameter. Boards and slabs with the bark 

 are almost as good. Where such material is not obtain- 

 able, use rough-sawed, weathered, one-inch boards. 

 Bird boxes should not be made of new boards and 

 should generally not be planed and painted. If you 

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