BIRDS THAT PREY AND SOME THAT DO NOT 491 



bottle gourds, each of which had a hole in it for the 

 birds to enter. Even some of the Ohio River and 

 Mississippi steamers sported gayly decorated mar- 

 tin houses perched on poles on their after-deck 

 and presented the novel sight of a colony of pur- 

 ple martins making regular trips to Louisville and 

 even to New Orleans. 



This was before the days the dirty, noisy, use- 

 less English sparrows had usurped all the shelters 

 which were formerly occupied by our native swal- 

 lows, martins and wrens. It was before our 

 thoughtlessly savage sisters began to wear the dis- 

 mantled carcasses of our native birds on their hats 

 and in their hair. A few years ago I saw a ball 

 dress worn by a beautiful girl entirely trimmed 

 with hundreds of 



HUMMING BIRDS SKINS ! 



and she was innocently disappointed because I did 

 not admire the grisly dress. 



It may be well to call the attention of the 

 Daughters of the American Revolution and also 

 the Sons of the American Revolution to the fact 

 that in the time of their brave old ancestors, upon 

 whom many of these modern descendants rest their 

 only claim for distinction, the happiness of the 

 American birds was a matter of great solicitude; 

 every lawn, every garden, and every farm was sup- 

 plied with houses or shelters for the birds. 



In fair weather the spacious verandas of the 



