626 



ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 



for drinking and bathing, and a constant 

 supply of water near the farmhouse will 

 materially aid in attracting birds to the 

 neighborhood and in keeping them there, 

 at least till the time of migration. Shal- 

 low trays of wood or metal admirably 

 serve the purpose, especially as birds de- 

 light to bathe in them. 



Considerable success has been met with 

 in Germany and elsewhere in Europe by 

 supplying artificial nest boxes for birds, 

 and the same method of increasing the 

 number of birds and attracting them to 

 farms and orchards where their services 

 are most needed should be extensively 

 employed in this country. The experi- 

 ment can the more easily be tried since 

 several firms in the United States are 

 now prepared to make and deliver boxes 

 specially designed for martins, swallows, 

 bluebirds, wrens, woodpeckers, and other 

 species. The average farmer's boy, how- 

 ever, if provided with a few tools, is quite 

 equal to the task of making acceptable 

 boxes for the commoner species, which 

 are far from fastidious as to the appear- 

 ance of the box intended for their oc- 

 cupancy. 



One of the worst foes of our native 

 birds is the house cat, and probably none 

 of our native wild animals destroys as 

 many birds on the farm, particularly 

 fledglings, as cats. The household pet is 

 by no means blameless in this respect, 

 for the bird-hunting instinct is strong 

 even in the well-fed tabby; but much of 

 the loss of our feathered life is attribut- 

 able to the half-starved stray, which in 

 summer is as much at home in the groves 

 and fields as the birds themselves. 

 Forced to forage for their own livelihood, 

 these animals, which are almost as wild 

 as the ancestral wildcat, inflict an ap- 

 palling loss on our feathered allies and 

 even on the smaller game birds like the 

 woodcock and bobwhite. If cats are to 

 find place In the farmer's household 

 every effort should be made by careful 

 feeding and watching them to insure the 

 safety of the birds. The cat without a 

 home should be mercifully put out of the 

 way. 



In the present article 50 of our com- 



moner birds are discussed, including 

 some that are destructive. They inhabit 

 various parts of the country, and it is 

 for the interest of the farmers of the re- 

 spective localities to be familiar with 

 them. The accounts of the birds' habits 

 are necessarily brief, but they are be- 

 lieved to be sufficient to acquaint the 

 reader with the most prominent charac- 

 teristics of the several species, at least 

 from the standpoint of their relation to 

 man. 



Bluebird 



Sialia sialis 



Length,* about six and one-half inches. 



Kaugre 



Breeds in the United States (west to 

 Arizona, Colorado, W5-oming, and Mon- 

 tana), Southern Canada, Mexico, and 

 Gautemala: winters in the southern half 

 of the Eastern United States and south 

 to Gautemala. 



Habits and Economic Status 



The bluebird is one of the most 

 familiar tenants of the farm and door- 

 yard. This bird, like the robin, phoebe, 

 house wren, and some swallows, is very 

 domestic in its habits. Its favorite nest- 

 ing sites are crannies in the farm build- 

 ings or boxes made for its use or natural 

 cavities in old apple trees. For rent the 

 bird pays amply by destroying insects, 

 and it takes no toll from the farm crop. 

 The bluebird's diet consists of 68 per 

 cent of insects to 32 per cent of vege- 

 table matter. The largest items of in- 

 sect food are grasshoppers first and 

 beetles next, while caterpillars stand third. 

 All of these are harmful except a few 

 of the beetles. The vegetable food con- 

 sists chiefly of fruit pulp, only an in- 

 significant portion of which is of cul- 

 tivated varieties. Among wild fruits el- 

 derberries are the favorite. From the 

 above it will be seen that the bluebird 

 does no essential harm, but eats many 

 harmful and annoying insects. 



Robin 



Planfsticus migratorius 

 Length, 10 inches. 



• Measured from tip of bill to tip of tail. 



