HOW TO ATTRACT BIRDS. 



nearer a comfortable observation point. A fault with food shelves 

 is that wind and rain may sweep them clean and snow may cover 

 the food. These defects may be obviated 

 in part by adding a raised ledge about the 

 margin or by placing the shelf in the 

 shelter of a wall or shielding it with ever- 

 green branches on one or more sides. 



Feeding devices not affected by the 

 weather are preferable. An excellent one 

 is a coconut with a hole bored in one end. 

 (Fig. 7.) The cavity is filled with 

 chopped suet and nuts or other food mix- 

 ture, and the nut is suspended by a wire 

 from a limb. The size of the hole regu- 

 lates the character of the guests ; if small, 

 large birds can not gobble the supply. 

 The coconut meat as well as the stuffing 

 is eaten. Cans with small openings may 

 be substituted for coconuts. Food baskets 



PIG. 5. Food tray. 



of any desired size made of 

 wire netting or a metal 

 grating may be hung up or 

 fastened to the trunk of a 

 tree. Food mixtures in 

 melted fat may be poured 

 into holes made in a branch 

 or stick (fig. 8) or in cracks 

 of bark or over evergreen 

 branches. All of these de- 

 vices minimize or obviate 

 the disturbing effects of 

 stormy weather. 



More elaborate appara- 

 tus for the same purpose 

 comprises various forms of 

 food hoppers and food 

 houses. The food hoppers 

 (figs. 6 and 9) in common 

 use for domestic fowls are 



adapted to the feeding of birds, and some special forms are now 



manufactured for wild birds. 



FIG. 6. Food shelf. 



