

INTRODUCTION 



VERYWHERE throughout this broad 

 land of ours there exists a wholesome de- 

 sire to protect the wild life about us. We 

 of this twentieth century are living in an 

 age when both societies and individuals are 

 zealously striving, not only to inspire a love for this wild 

 life, but also to instruct the people at large regarding how 

 it may be wisely conserved. Love for the out-of-doors is 

 strong in most of us and the call to the country is insistent. 

 Each year the throng increases of those who respond to 

 this summons, many to reside there permanently, others 

 as sojourners only during the delightful months of the 

 year, and the charms of a country life are doubly enhanced 

 by the presence of the wild creatures about us. 



The wild life, especially the birds, contribute largely to 

 both our welfare and our happiness. While engaged in 

 their important work of ridding the country of injurious 

 insect pests and the seeds of noxious weeds, they at the 

 same time gratify our aesthetic tastes by their cheery songs, 

 bright colors, and vivacious movements. There is also the 

 additional charm of being able to watch the evolution of 

 their home-building, from the gathering of the first nesting 

 material until the young spread their wings and fly away. 

 Unfortunately many of those who delight in the charms 

 of the country have been denied the opportunity of learn- 

 ing much about the habits of birds, what species will 

 nest in bird-houses, where to properly place these houses, 

 or how to care for the birds that visit us in the bleak 



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