THE BOOK SHELF 303 



of martins came. Some perched on the wires, some on the roof, 

 and some on the porches of the martin house. Others flew around 

 in big circles. All were twittering and calling in their happiest 

 manner. 



I had driven the sparrows away the night before, and this is 

 how I did it: I put a few big nails into a tin can, then closed 

 the can and tied it to a big stick. With this stick I banged the 

 can against the martin house pole again and again. It frightened 

 the sleeping sparrows. By the moonlight I could see v^ix come 

 out and fly away; but I think there were more. 



Two pairs of sparrows came back in the morning. They 

 had made their nests side by side in the third story. Long grasses 

 were hanging out from the entrances. Perhaps the martins 

 were sorry for them; anyway, it looked as if they were willing 

 to play fair. They did not chase them off any more; and the 

 sparrows being now so few, no longer molested the martins. 



The martins now began to clean house. There were wads 

 of chicken feathers and some broken eggs arn.ong the rubbish 

 which they threw out. This was soon replaced by straws and 

 sticks which they brought for their own nesting. I could only 

 count twelve pairs of martins, so that there was plenty of room 

 for them and the martins too. I suppose one reason why the 

 sparrows were unwelcome is because they are such untidy house- 

 keepers as to render close neighboring with them insanitary." 



The following subjects are treated in the twelve chapters: 

 My first bird neighbors, New adventtires in birdland, Real troub- 

 les in birdland. The bluebird's bungalow, The wren's apartment 

 house. The boy. The chimney swifts, Birds not of a feather, 

 The martins' aircastle, More about the boy. The cardinals. My 

 bird family. 



The many pictures made from photographs by the author 

 are very attractive and truly illustrative and add very much 

 to the interest of the little volume. 



Animal Ingenuity of Today- C. A. Ealand, M. A. 312 

 pages, 26 full page illustrations, J. B. Lippincot Co. 



It is small wonder that after iom: years of war men should 

 find relief in reading and writing about the wonderful doings 



