390 USEFUL BIRDS. 
made from a hollow limb sawed in sections, with tops and 
bottoms made of an old board, and a hole bored in each 
section for an entrance. 
Artistic imitations of hollow limbs may be made of papier- 
maché, but this involves some expense. The best imitations 
of a hollow log that I have seen were constructed of the 
bark and wood of a sound tree. In Bird-Lore for January— 
February, 1905, and in the Youth’s Companion of April 13, 
1905, I described the method of making these boxes, but 
at that time they were untried. They have since had two 
seasons trial, with very satisfactory results. To Mr. William 
Brewster belongs the credit of their invention, and I have 
made a considerable number after his design. White birch 
and chestnut were used, as it was believed that the bark of 
these trees would be most durable, but Mr. Brewster now 
suggests that elm bark is probably best of all. Those por- 
tions of the trunks used were from four to eight inches in 
diameter. ‘The boxes were made in summer, as the bark 
will not usually peel well before about June 20, and then 
only for a short time. When the tree had been cut down, the 
trunk was sawed into sections from ten to eighteen inches 
long, according to the size of the boxes desired. Only straight 
sections, free from knots or branches, were used. A branch 
of the right size, however, may, when cut off, leave a hole 
in the bark that can be utilized as an entrance for the birds. 
These domiciles may be made as follows: an incision is 
made on the side intended for the back of the box, through 
both outer and inner bark, from the top to the bottom of each 
section ; then, on the opposite side, some two or three inches 
from the top, bore through the bark, with an auger or ex- 
tension-bit, a hole of the size desired for the entrance. If 
such tools are not at hand, the aperture may be cut with a 
gouge, a chisel, or even a knife. Next insert a wedge-shaped 
stick into the incision at the back and under the inner bark, 
to start it off, and with this implement peel it very carefully. 
In peeling birch, be careful not to separate the inner and 
outer layers of the bark. Be particularly cautious when 
working about knots or rough places. The bark will make 
the sides of the box, and two sections, each an inch thick, 
