540 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



the nesting boxes offered by their human friends. All of the 

 birds having this nesting habit are of the most beneficial species, 

 from the fact that their food is composed largely of insects, and 

 we should in every possible manner encourage their numbers to 

 increase. 



Dead trees and decayed branches are a menace to the health 

 of the forest, and are removed by the forester, who at the same 

 time unwittingly destroys the future nesting site of a wood- 

 pecker. In order to provide nesting places, and at the same 

 time promote the welfare of the forest by eliminating these 

 plague spots of beetle and fungus, we must place in open spots, 

 and along the borders of the, woods, nesting boxes. 



It is the purpose of the State Forester to interest woodland 

 owners and others in building bird houses, or purchasing them 

 from reliable dealers, and seeing that all localities take some 

 part in this fascinating work. Mr. Bradford A. Scudder, sec- 

 retary of the Massachusetts Fish and Game Protective Associa- 

 tion, gives us the proper dimensions and descriptions necessary 

 to build various kinds of bird boxes. Mr. Scudder and his 

 association are very active in the work of caring for birds, 

 having distributed tons of food for them in winter and offering 

 for sale at small cost bird boxes of all kinds, etc.; hence the 

 data which follow are reliable : — ■ 



The proper inside dimensions for nesting boxes for the 

 following species are as follows : — 



Bluebird. — Depth of box, 10 inches; floor, 5 by 5 inches; entrance, H 

 inches; lower edge of entrance, 7 inches above the floor. 



Chickadee. — Depth of box, 10 inches; floor, 4 by 4 inches; entrance, 

 Ij inches; lower edge of entrance, 7 inches above the floor. 



Flicker. — Depth of box, 20 inches; floor, 6 by 6 inches; entrance, 2| 

 inches in diameter; lower edge of entrance, 16 inches above the floor. 



Tree Swallow. — Depth of box, 7 inches; floor, 5 by 5 inches; entrance 

 1^ inches in diameter; lower edge of entrance, 4 inches above tlie floor. 



The four species enumerated above are the ones most likely 

 to occupy the nesting boxes, for they are found in large num- 

 bers throughout Massachusetts. The white-breasted nuthatch 

 and the house wren are not as abundant as the birds just 

 mentioned, but nevertheless each of these should be offered a 



