The Audubon Societies 



383 



For the older children there are numerous suggestions for window-boxes, 

 'anti-Sparrow' shelves, weather-vane feeders, food-hoppers, etc., in the past 

 numbers of Bird-Lore. It is often possible to cooperate with the manual train- 

 ing department in the construction of these more elaborate feeding devices. 



The chief trouble with an open shelf at the window is that during 

 snow-storms, when food is most needed by the birds, it is covered up. 

 Some sort of a covered shelf is therefore better. A very convenient 

 window feeding-box can be made from a soap-box or box of similar size, one 



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THE SIMPLEST FORM OF A WINDOW FEEDING-SHELF 



A cleat nailed to the window ledge to prevent the food from blowing off, and a branch to which the suet 



is fastened 



end of which is nailed to the window casing so that the open side faces south. 

 If what is then the back is replaced by a pane of glass, so that it is well lighted 

 within, the birds will not hesitate to enter and will be able to get the food even 

 during the worst storms. No matter what sort of a window-shelf is used, it is 

 always well to fasten a branch — and preferably an evergreen branch or small 

 tree— to one side of it. Sometimes a number of branches can be used effectively 

 to break the force of the wind and at the same time to decorate the shelf. 

 The more the feeding station, wherever it is, looks like a little corner of the 

 woods, the better the birds will like it. 



When the schoolroom windows open on a court or narrow street or some 

 place where, obviously, birds could not be attracted to the windows, one may 

 have to be satisfied with feeding the birds some place in the school-yard, 

 around the flag-pole, or on a post erected for the purpose. In such places the 



