USEFUL BIliDti. 



made from a hollow limb sawed in sections, with tops and 

 bottoms made of an old board, and a hole bored in each 

 section for an entrance. 



Artistic imitations of hollow limbs may be made of papier- 

 mache, but this involves some expense. The best imitations 

 of a hollow log that I have seen were constructed of the 

 bark and wood of a sound tree. In Bird-Lore for January- 

 February, 1905, and in the Youth's Companion of April 13, 

 1905, I described the method of making these boxes, but 

 at that time they were untried. They have since had two 

 seasons' trial, with very satisfactory results. To Mr. William 

 Brewster belongs the credit of their invention, and I have 

 made a considerable number after his design. White birch 

 and chestnut were used, as it was believed that the bark of 

 these trees would be most durable, but Mr. Brewster now 

 suggests that elm bark is probably best of all. Those por- 

 tions of the trunks used were from four to eight inches in 

 diameter. The boxes were made in summer, as the bark 

 will not usually peel well before about June 20, and then 

 only for a short time. When the tree had been cut down, the 

 trunk was sawed into sections from ten to eighteen inches 

 long, according to the size of the boxes desired . Only straight 

 sections, free from knots or branches, were used. A branch 

 of the right size, however, may, when cut off, leave a hole 

 in the bark that can be utilized as an entrance for the birds. 



These domiciles may be made as follows : an incision is 

 made on the side intended for the back of the box, through 

 both outer and inner bark, from the top to the bottom of each 

 section ; then, on the opposite side, some two or three inches 

 from the top, bore through the bark, with an auger or ex- 

 tension-bit, a hole of the size desired for the entrance. If 

 such tools are not at hand, the aperture may be cut with a 

 gouge, a chisel, or even a knife. Next insert a wedge-shaped 

 stick into the incision at the back and under the inner bark, 

 to start it off, and with this implement peel it very carefully. 

 In peeling birch, be careful not to separate the inner and 

 outer layers of the bark. Be particularly cautious when 

 working about knots or rough places. The bark will make 

 the sides of the box, and two sections, each an inch thick, 



