NEST BOXES FOR BIRDS. 461 
‘““was to my knowledge made of the boxes. The garden is a large one, 
** consisting of a small grove of chil pines, Pinus longifolia, at the head of a 
“Jong slope of slightly terraced ground, partly used for flowers and partly for 
** vegetables but including a good dea! of fallow ground and clumps cof bushes. 
«* Large trees grow all round the hedge and various trees are dotted about, 
«* some of large size. 
(1) ** Packing case; this was fixed up. at the junction of the main 
‘* branches of a very fine Chil Pine and by the 27th April it had been 
“‘ adopted by a pair of Mynahs (Acridotherus tristis) and young were 
‘* hatched during May. 
(2) * Box 1. Placed half way up a Pear tree in the centre of the garden. 
*¢T saw no sign that it had been adopted by any bird until an inspec- 
** tion on the Ist May revealed a nest with 4 hardset eggs of the 
** Magpie Robin (Copsychus saularis). These hatched a few days later 
‘*and were doubtless safely reared. 
(3) “Box 2. Placed near the top of a tree of unknown species, but open 
‘and light in character. During the last ten days of April it was 
** continuously being inspected by 3 species, the Brahminy Mynah 
“*(Temenuchus pagodarum), the Magpie Robin, and the Yellow— 
‘‘throated sparrow (Gymmnorhis flavicollis). Whether one of these 
** used it early in the season I cannot say but on my return on 10th 
** July I found that it contained 4 naked young of the Brahminy 
** Mynah which were duly fledged. 
(4) “Box 3. Placed high up in a tree of the Chil Pine grove. When I 
‘‘ left, on 10th May this contained a nest of the Yellow-throated 
‘* Sparrow which was then empty. 
(5) ‘Box 4. Placed half way up a small solitary Chil Pine. This con- 
«tained 4 incubated eggs of the Brahminy Mynah on my return on 
*« 10th July. 
‘* The above amount of success has determined me to pay more attention to 
** the placing of nest boxes next spring if possibley and I should be interested 
«* to hear the experiences of any other member of the society who has tried nest 
«* boxes in India. It is hardly necessary to remark that apart from the general 
«* interest of these experiments they afford an excellent means of obtaining 
«several little known particulars of our Indian birds, such as length of 
** incubation, fledging periods, and the down plumages of the young.” 
The question of attracting birds about the home by providing feeding sta- 
tions in winter and nesting boxes in summer is one that has attracted consider- 
able attention in England and America. Associations like the National Asso- 
ciation of Audubon Societies, The Foreign Bird Club, and others have been 
responsible in a large measure for popularising these methods of attracting 
our avian neighbours and their efforts have met with a welcome response 
from Bird Lovers all over the country. There seems to be no reason why 
attempts of a similar nature should not be made in India. Mr. Whistler 
describes the considerable measure of success attained by him in putting up 
nesting boxes in his garden. It is certain that there are a number of our 
members who would be willing to interest themselves in this fascinating 
venture which by the infinite pleasure and instruction it affords repays so 
fully the small amount of trouble and time expended on it. Success may 
not come at once as itis quite possible that the birds may not respond very 
promptly to the first attempt but there is no reason to suppose that persistent 
and intelligent effort will not bring its ultimate reward. A large variety 
of birds frequent the vicinity of bungalows and gardens and many of these 
welcome neighbours might be coaxed into tenanting the artificial nesting sites 
prepared by their would-be landlords. In endeavouring to attract any parti- 
cular species it must be remembered that the type of the nest which will be most 
