mOi.uCiiGiN auaiinbT CATS 



385 



homelike for wild bird life. Put these nests on suitable supports 

 where the parent birds will feel safe from harm. Paint them some 

 natural color to match the bark of trees or green foliage. 



Protection against Cats. — Among the worst enemies of birds are 

 common house cats, which often run wild and prey upon birds' 

 nests during the summer season. They are frequently found rest- 

 ing in trees to prey upon the parent birds or upon young birds 

 which are just learning to fly. Their worst trick is to rob the nests 

 after the young have hatched. 



Much protection can be given the nests by wide bands of sticky 

 fly paper placed around trunks of trees in which the nests are built 



Fiq. 281. 



Fig. 282. 



Fig. 281. — Metal tree guards will aid in keeping squirrels and cats from bird nests. Sticky 



fly paper (at left) may be fastened around the tree or nest pole. (U.S.D.A.) 

 Fig. 282. — Such a good tray may be placed where you may reach it from a box. (U.S.D.A.) 



(Fig. 281). Cats dislike to be caught in fly paper and will never 

 attempt to climb a tree where they were once caught. Put wide 

 metal collars around poles where blue birds or others are making 

 their home. The artificial nests may be put on poles thus protected 

 from the ascent of cats. When birds feel themselves secure from 

 being robbed they grow more friendly month by month or year by 

 year. Frequently the best remedy is to kill the cats. When cats 

 are busy hunting birds' nests they seldom care to kill mice and 

 rats. The lazy house cat often spends much of the night in preying 

 upon birds in trees, and then sleeps during the day in your home. 

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