3H



Notices of New Books.



in English. It describes fully the methods which have been

adopted by Baron von Berlepsch, who has spent many years in

studying the habits of birds, especially those which are of dis¬

tinct utility to man, with a view to protecting them and inducing

them to live and propogate in his neighbourhood.


Baron von Berlepsch has long seen that the chief cause of

the undoubted diminution in many species of birds lies in the

destruction of their natural homes. The cutting down of woods

and forests, the reclaiming of marsh lauds and the progress of

bricks and mortar. It stands to reason that if there are very few

nesting sites that very few birds can occupy them and hence the

birds must become scarce. This fact led the Baron to supply

artificial nesting sites in the form of hollow logs designed after the

pattern of the Woodpecker’s nest-hole. These artificial nesting

logs are now manufactured extensively in Germany and are

largely used. Besides these the Barou has planted numbers of

special shelter-woods, consisting of the kinds of trees and shrubs

most appreciated by nesting birds. Such subjects as the feeding

of birds in winter, food houses and food trees are fully described.


There is no doubt that Baron von Berlepsch has adopted

the very best means to serve the cause of bird protection, and

that his methods have been crowned with success is abundantly

proved as the following extract from the book under notice will

show :—


“ The author was able to convince himself that go per cent,

of the 2,000 boxes in the Wood at Kauimerforst (part of the

Seebach experimental station, and nearly all of the 500 at See-

bach, and of the 2,100 near Cassel, were occupied by various

species. The Prussian Board of Agriculture has caused various

experiments to be made with these boxes, with excellent results,

as published documents affirm.


“ Of the 9,300 boxes hung up by the Government in the

State and Communal Woods of the Grand Duchy of Hesse, 70-

80 per cent, were used the first year, and all have been inhabite

this year (1907). ,


“The Hainich Wood, south of Eisenach, which cc

several square miles, was stripped entirely bare in the spr' , ;

1905 by larva of a little moth ( Tortrix viridana). The Wood of



