PRELIMINARY MATTERS 205 



example of success in increasing the smaller land birds is 

 that of Baron Von Berlepsch on his estates at Seebach, in 

 Thuringia, Germany, which has become a matter of world- 

 wide fame. Every one interested in the subject should se- 

 cure the little book describing the details of his work, which 

 is entitled "How to Attract and Protect Wild Birds," by 

 M. Hiesemann, English translation, which can be secured 

 at trifling cost from the National Association of Audubon 

 Societies, New York City. 



The story of the growth of this work is briefly as follows : 

 Von Berlepsch when a boy noticed that the bird-houses 

 then put up for birds were seldom occupied, and he began to 

 inquire the reason and to make careful studies and experi- 

 ments in methods of attracting birds. These studies led 

 to journeys all over the world. For years he has been carry- 

 ing on experiments on his estates with surprising results. 

 Of about 500 acres, 19 are in a park, 60 are laid out in thick- 

 ets, and 400 are woodland. There is also a lake which at- 

 tracts water-birds. In an area of 12 or 13 acres of park up- 

 ward of 500 pairs of birds regularly nest, not including a 

 colony of over 100 nests of house martins on a barn. About 

 300 nesting-boxes in the park are all occupied. In the 

 woods there are about 2,000 boxes, of which about 90 per 

 cent, regularly have tenants. 



Lessons Therefrom. No one need expect to be able to 

 go forth and immediately do likewise. This success repre- 

 sents many years of effort and an evolution in the habits of 

 birds. Birds are considerably creatures of habit, great 

 sticklers for custom, natural conservatives. The habits of a 

 species can be changed only very gradually. Doubtless it 

 took a long period of years for our "chimney" swift, which 

 originally stuck its gummy nest to the inner walls of large 

 hollow trees, to change to its present habit of nesting in 



