j_8 THE AUDUBON BULLETIN ____ 



Bulletin of the Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, Vol. viii, 

 1910, page 518, in speaking of the Fox Squirrel of the Mississippi Valley, 

 Sciurus Niger Rufiventer, makes the following statement: 'Both this 

 species and the Gray Squirrel are great destroyers of birds' nests, and 

 thus indirectly do considerable harm. Woodpeckers and other birds 

 nesting in hollow trees seem especially liable to suffer from them.' E. 

 W. Nelson in his account of 'The Smaller Mammals of North America' 

 published in the Geographic Magazine for May, 191 8, includes birds 

 and birds' eggs among the items of food taken by the Fox Squirrel." 



Bird boxes can be put up in woods where squirrels live, in such a 

 way that these and other murderous intruders will not make headway 

 in their attacks. Place box securely on brass or other smooth metal rod 

 and fix other end of rod to top of post, which is planted in ground. 

 Keep post far enough away from trees, bushes, etc., that enemies like 

 squirrels, wood mice, weasels, snakes and cats, cannot jump or reach 

 from same and get the boxes. 



This kind of box, rod and post outfit is used by Henry Ford at his 

 Bird Sanctuary near Detroit and is said to be a great success. 



Inland Bird-Banding Association Meeting, 

 Indianapolis, Ind., November 2-3 



ON Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2 and 3, there was held in Indian- 

 apolis the first convention in America, if not in the world, that 

 was called for the express purpose of discussing the future of bird banding. 



Bird banding has been carried on in various countries by individuals, 

 and organizations of scientific people as a side line and in a very desultory 

 manner. Not until last year had there been a distinctive bird banding 

 association in the West. The New England Bird Banding Association 

 had been organized in 1921. 



The Inland Association was organized at the meeting of the Amer- 

 ican Ornithologists Union held in Chicago in October, 1922. From this 

 beginning there has grown an efficient organization which has in the 

 year created a widespread interest in this comparatively recent phase of 

 bird study. 



The meeting at Indianapolis was successful far beyond the ambitions 

 of its promoters, and no doubt will be the beginning of a very active in- 

 terest in what has already proven to be one of the most important move- 

 ments towards a more accurate knowledge of the value and life histories 

 of our North American birds. 



The selection of the meeting place was made by Mr. P. B. Coffin 

 of the Chicago Ornithological Club, who -knew of the keen interest in 

 bird study in Indianapolis, and of the efficient and delightful hospitality 

 of the Indiana Audubon Society and the Indiana Nature Study Club. 



