190 CONSERVATION OF CANADIAN WILD LIFE 



The provision of water is very important. During the 

 hot days of summer, birds require water for drinking and 

 bathing purposes, and a bird fountain or bath in a garden 

 will always insure the presence of numerous birds. No gar- 

 den should be considered complete without a supply of 

 water for the birds. This may take the form of a small 

 fountain, a natural or artificial water-hole, or a pebble-lined 

 tin or concrete bath. Very artistic concrete or artificial- 

 stone bird-baths on pedestals are now made and sold by 

 dealers, and such baths can be made by any one with a 

 Httle ingenuity. 



5. BiED Sanctuaries 



A bird sanctuary is an area of land, or of land and water, 

 in which birds are rigorously protected and permitted to live 

 undisturbed. Such a sanctuary may be a tract of wood- 

 land or prairie, a marsh, the banks of a river, a sea-girt 

 island or cliffs. A bird sanctuary may be created in or near 

 a town or city with as great advantage to bird protection 

 as a sanctuary in a more remote region. Moreover, there 

 can be no greater expression of the bird-loving tendencies 

 of a community than such an area in which birds are pro- 

 tected. 



I would strongly recommend local organizations and pub- 

 lic bodies to adopt and carry out the following scheme as a 

 first step: The absolute protection of birds in pubUc parks 

 and cemeteries in cities, towns, and villages should be se- 

 cured by the co-operation of the local civic authorities, and 

 such areas she did be publicly declared to be bird sanctuaries. 

 At the same time, bird-house competitions should be organ- 

 ized, and a proportion of the bird-houses so made by the 

 school-children should be distributed in the civic bird sanc- 

 tuaries, and thus the children would have that personal in- 

 terest in the work which tends to secure success. Further, 

 the assistance of the local horticultural societies should be 



