65 

 In describing the nesting-places provided for birds breeding in the 

 open at Seebach, the shelter-wood for birds must first be considered, 

 and then a number of similar plantations. 



(a) Shelter-woods for Birds. 



The idea of planting shelter- woods for birds is a very obvious one, 

 and was carried out formerly, though in a very simple fashion, by 

 planting all kinds of brushwood, more particularly shrubs like hazel, 

 osier, and sallow, which are of little use for protecting birds, and 

 by letting them grow in a wild tangle. 



True, these plantations are better than none, and they improve the 

 beautjr of the landscape, but they are of no use for encouraging birds 

 to settle. It is the merest chance if a bird ever builds in such a 

 plantation, which is \^anting in every requirement for the building 

 of nests. The bird shelter-woods at Seebach, on the other hand, 

 provide the most favourable opportunities for nesting, because, like 

 the nesting-boxes, they are closely copied from Nature. 



They are based on close observation of primitive nature in the 

 primaeval forests of Africa and America, where the eternal growth and 

 decay, as well as the luxurious groivth of the creepers which penetrate 

 everjrn'here, provide the birds with the best possible opportunities for 

 building. The falling trees, the pieces of trees and large branches, 

 which were held up by creepers, break up the branches of the underwood. 

 Tlie dormant eyes sprout beneath the fractures, and form whorl- 

 shaped ramifications in which innumerable nests 'ivill be built. 



The present shelter-woods are the result of these observations made 

 by Baron von Berlepsch in the course of his travels. We will describe 

 the development of one of these bird shelter-woods by means of the 

 following diagram and illustrations made from photographs. 



First of all the piece of ground intended for the shelter-wood must 

 be thoroughly prepared. It must be dug deep in the autumn, and 

 during the winter must be left in rough clods, so that the frost penetrates 

 deep, especially if it was formerly turf. 



In the spring the ground thus prepared — the 



whole of the inside of the plan — must be planted 



,,,,.. with white-thopn : the twelfth plant must always 



be a beech or a hornbeam. The distance between 



PLAN OF SHELTEE- 



wooD. the rows and the plants must be from 2 feet 6 



