18 



nesting material such as hay, straw, twine, cotton, hair, string, 

 etc., be hung on a fence or placed on a bushy branch near the 

 nesting box, that alone may decide some bird to nest there. 

 If twine is put out it should be cut in short pieces not over a 

 foot in length, else birds may be ensnared by it. Wherever a 

 pair of tree swallows nest, many other boxes, similar to the one 

 chosen by them, should be put up on poles, for they are sociable 

 birds and one pair will attract others. 



Experiments sometimes have demonstrated that certain in- 

 dividual birds are grateful for nesting material placed in the 

 box. A pair of chickadees made their nest by digging a hollow 

 in cotton batting that I had placed in the bottom of the box 

 for their use. It is well always to keep a few nesting boxes out 

 all winter with some cotton or other nesting material in the 

 bottom of each, to furnish winter lodging for chickadees, nut- 

 hatches and woodpeckers, as these birds like to sleep in such 

 snug quarters. Chickadees and nuthatches may be attracted 

 to nesting boxes by first destroying all the decayed trees and 

 stumps near by, and then feeding the birds all winter on bits 

 of suet, meat, fat or sunflower seeds placed near the boxes. 

 If this supply is kept up during the spring, some of the birds 

 are likely to nest in the boxes and their young seek similar 

 domiciles until a little colony becomes established. 



Wrens are rare and local in Massachusetts, but when once a 

 colony is started they are almost perfectly protected in nesting 

 boxes and are likely to increase. There should be at least 

 three boxes to each pair of wrens, as they are so industrious 

 that a pair often will build two additional nests beside the one 

 in use, and such building activity may keep them out of mis- 

 chief. Otherwise they may attack the eggs of other birds. 



IVIany writers express the belief that it is a mistake to put 

 up nesting boxes too near together, as jealousy and fighting will 

 ensue and none of them will be occupied. I have held this 

 view and published it, but have discarded it since I have seen 

 five pairs of bluebirds nesting in the trees around one farm 

 house; three pairs of tree swallows nesting in boxes on one 

 small tree; several pairs of bluebirds in boxes on one barn, 

 and a pair of bluebirds and one of tree swallows on one pole. 

 (See Plate VII., Fig. 1, and Plate VIII.) 



