NESTING BOXES, ETC. 49 



may be formed by cuttino; away half a brick out 

 of a wall, say nine or ten feet from the ground. 



At a distance of say ten or fifteen yards from 

 the nesting place of the Spotted Flycatcher 

 should be placed a cross perch on a stick six or 

 seven feet high, in an open situation, such as the 

 centre of a lawn, as a further attraction for this 

 bird; as it is well known to all bird observers that 

 this bird always selects some bare twig, railing, 

 or other open perch, to enable it to see more readily 

 the flies and other insects flying around which form 

 its staple food. Such a perch will be occupied by 

 one of the parent birds all day long, and also affords 

 a convenient place for the young when they first 

 leave the nest. I have fi'equently seen three or four 

 young Flycatchers sitting in a row on such a perch, 

 whilst the mother bird continues to feed them. 



For our friends the Swallows much may be done 

 in providing them with convenient shelves against 

 beams and rafters in lofts, open sheds, and out- 

 buildings, where these birds can obtain ingress 

 and egress through an opening or window. These 

 shelves or plain brackets, say, about 6 inches by 4| 

 inches, may be placed in all sorts of positions on the 

 inside timbers of an open roof, or against sheltered 



