428 APPENDIX. 



He states that the birds appear to avoid a box with open cracks. 

 Boxes with two-inch holes have never been used by FUckers in 

 my experience (see page 394). There should be at least a foot of 

 space below the entrance, as all these birds like deep nesting places. 

 The boxes were placed eighteen to twenty feet above the ground, 

 nailed to the top of a pole or to the trunk of a tree near the top. 



Mr. Ernest Harold Baynes, at Meriden, N. H., has made and 

 utilized many houses for feeding birds, two of which are shown on 

 Plates LVII and LX. The plan is a modification of those used by 

 Baron von Berlepsch, and they might be still further improved by 

 the addition of a hopper, so that one filling would suffice the birds 

 for days or weeks. This principle is applied in the food bell (Plate 

 LVII, Figs. 3 and 6) and in the food box shown on the same plate 

 (Fig. 1). The receptacle is filled with bird seed, which feeds down 

 gradually as the birds take it. The particular advantage of such 

 appliances is that the food is sheltered safely from rain, snow and 

 ice. Another modification of the food house is shown on Plate 

 I^VII, Fig. 7, made so as to swing away from the wind and thus 

 always shield the birds when feeding in it. All these appliances 

 have given satisfactory service in this country and may be used 

 with confidence. 



The provision of nesting places for birds by planting and prun- 

 ing trees and shrubs for their accommodation has not yet been 

 fully tried out in this country, as such ornamented plantations 

 require several years to come to maturity. 



HOW TO SET OUT TREES, SHRUBS AND VINES FOR THE 



BIRDS. 



Plant mulberry trees to lure the birds. No other fruiting tree 

 equals the mulberry for attracting birds in summer. Mulberries 

 fruit early, bear nearly all summer, and appear to be more sought 

 after by all fruit-eating birds than any other summer fruit. Any 

 mulberry is good. The common Russian variety is recommended, 

 but the smaller weeping Russian mulberry also attracts birds, and 

 may come to maturity earlier than the standard. One possible 

 objection to the Russian mulberry in northern New England is 

 that it is not always hardy. The Charles Downing has an advan- 

 tage over the Russian as its fruit is large, handsome and luscious 

 to the taste, serving as an attractive fruit for human consumption, 

 which is more than can be said of most mulberries. It appears to 

 be hardy and is a quick grower. Dr. George W. Field recommends, 

 as an improvement on this, the New American, a very hardy va- 



