BIRD HOUSES AND NATATORIUMS 235 



two top sides to form a roof. About two-thirds of 

 the distance from the top a square of wood with a 

 spike nailed through from the back is nailed and a 

 perch, consisting of a bit of tree branch, is nailed 

 beneath for the accommodation of the woodpeckers. 

 The jays usually stand on the com or spike to eat, 

 but woodpeckers eat from below up. Most feeding 

 stations and houses attached to trees are more sat- 

 isfactory if painted an inconspicuous green or gray. 

 The sliding cars which run on wires and so afford no 

 footing for cats or squirrels are other satisfactory 

 structures, easily made by any one handy with tools. 

 These are usually about a foot long by six inches 

 wide and have pointed ends about nine inches high 

 which support two roof boards. A narrow ledge is 

 put along the open sides to prevent the food spilling 

 out and a wire is run, through a hole in the end ga- 

 bles, from tree to tree or from other supports — the 

 end of a porch and a tree being convenient. A cord 

 attached to the car and running over a pulley on the 

 tree wiU allow the car to be drawn up to the porch 

 to be filled and then slid back along the wire until 

 far enough from the house to give confidence to the 

 birds when first they begin to use it. 



In the summer the water supply is more important 

 than food, as the birds will be able to forage for 

 themselves and seldom affect localities lacking in nat- 

 ural food, but much may be done to furnish a supply 



