372 USEFUL BIRDS. 



CHAPTER XIL 



THE PROTECTION OF BIRDS. 



The first and most important step in bird protection to 

 be taken by the individual is to attract the birds about his 

 home, and endeavor to increase their numbers. The farmer 

 is especially well situated to do this. His garden, orchard, 

 and fertile fields lie about his buildings ; and birds under 

 protection naturally gather about the farm home. The 

 dweller in a village or a city suburb is also well situated 

 for bird protection, provided he can fence out the cat and 

 suppress the Sparrow, for there the natural enemies that 

 live in the woods are absent, and the gunner is shut out. 

 Some of the most successful bird colonies have been estab- 

 lished in city gardens. Birds about the home can be readily 

 watched and protected at all seasons ; their habits, their 

 wants, and their enemies can be observed and studied ; safe 

 nesting places can be provided, and each colony thus estab- 

 lished sends out annually many young birds to populate the 

 surrounding region. This accomplished, with little expense 

 and trouble, the farmer or gardener is the gainer, for birds 

 are not now generally numerous enough to keep down the 

 insects in our orchards, gardens, and fields, or to hold in 

 check the weeds in our cultivated grounds. If, however, by 

 furnishing extra food and nesting facilities, we can attract 

 about our homes more birds than the land normally sup- 

 ports, and there maintain them, they will form a very effec- 

 tive check on both weeds and insects. 



It may be difficult for the individual to secure a perma- 

 nent increase of migratory insectivorous birds on his farm- 

 stead, for most of the young that are reared become victims 

 of casualties during migration ; but he can increase the num- 

 ber and size of the broods reared on his place, and thus aug- 

 ment the summer bird population, and he can double the usual 

 number of winter visitants found there. He may do much 



