222 IN THE DAYS OF AUDUBON 



HOW TO TAME BIRDS WITHOUT CAGES 



The people of Old England and New England did this 

 by erecting bird-houses on piles near the gable-windows. 

 In rural districts the bird-house was a principal ornament 

 of the garden; it rose high over the orchard boughs or 

 amid household trees. 



The people of New England erected " martin-boxes," as 

 a swallow-house was called, and they rejoiced in the high 

 sun of spring when the martin-birds first came to them. 



The bluebird was a dweller in these New England bird- 

 houses. The wren made his nest in them. The oriole wove 

 her pouched nest in the tops of the high, sunny elms, and 

 the swallows or swifts came yearly to the chimney. There 

 was new joy in the household when the wings of the swift 

 were heard whirring in the chimney. 



In the winter the same people hung meat on the bare 

 limbs of the dooryard trees for the birds — " liver and 

 lights " this meat used to be called. The chickadees fed on 

 it, and even the " red-headed " woodpecker in days of north- 

 ern storms and stress. 



The robins' nests were protected, as were the nests of 

 the ospreys, which were thought to bring good luck. So 

 were the nests of the barn swallows. 



These simple methods have hardly been improved upon. 

 There was a charm in the bird-houses of the orchards and 

 trees. It delighted the traveler to ride by them. 



How tame did these methods make the birds? So tame 

 that the robins would come to the doors and call for help 

 if a cat were found climbing a tree to a nest. The old 

 ospreys would give a like alarm if a strange hunter were 



