No. 4.] REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 85 



Such results as those in Brookline and Hopedale are not 

 unique or even unusual. They are the common experience of 

 many people who finally become discouraged by lack of success 

 and give up the attempt. As a means of encouraging such 

 persons and pointing the way to success I cannot do better 

 than to give my experience on my own farm during the past 

 year. 



Success with Nesting Boxes on Poles. 



In 1914 about 75 nesting boxes were placed on my farm and 

 those of two neighbors, but as several of those on a neighbor's 

 farm were knocked down by some destructive person or per- 

 sons, no accurate account of the birds occupying them was 

 obtainable. All but 6 of these boxes were erected on my own 

 place this year. I purposely allowed unskilled "help" to put 

 up 75 boxes without my supervision,^ merely insisting that 25 

 of them should be erected on poles in the open. This was 

 done, but boxes intended for chickadees were put on trees in 

 the garden where chickadees were not very likely to use them, 

 and bluebird boxes were erected in the deep woods where blue- 

 birds rarely go. Nearly every box on poles was used by the 

 birds, while very few of those on trees were occupied. A pair 

 of flickers had nested on a chestnut tree in 1914, where they 

 were molested by squirrels. This year they refused to use a 

 similar box in the same "situation, but tried to enlarge the 

 opening of a bluebird box on a flagpole near by. When the 

 same flicker box that they had refused on the tree was put 

 on the flagpole the birds took it at once and reared a brood 

 there. The boxes on poles were placed at various heights be- 

 tween 7 and 15 feet. Some of those on trees were higher. ^ 



It was my intention this year to put up so many boxes that 

 the English sparrows might have more than they could use, in 

 the hope that they would not then molest the native birds, 

 but when it was seen that the sparrows were driving bluebirds 

 away from bluebirds' nests in boxes which the sparrows did 



» This gave assurance that the situations pf the boxes not placed on poles would be such as are 

 commonly chosen by the average citizen. 



• E. C. Ware of Wareham now makes a light support for a bird house in the form of a double 

 pole which sets over a short post anchored in the ground. It can bo lifted off with one motion of 

 the hand. Those who object to the appearance of such a support can plant morning glories about 

 it, and in July or August, after the birds have raised their young, the post, bird house and vine 

 form a tower of blossoms and verdure. (See Plate V.) 



