140 METHODS OP ATTRACTING BIRDS 



In the School of Education of Chicago Uni- 

 versity, a new method was adopted in the clay- 

 work department, of modeling bird-houses from 

 clay, the work being done by the children in 

 the sixth grade. (See description, page 22, and 

 illustration opposite page 22.) 



But whether the work is done in the manual- 

 training department or not, there will be little 

 difficulty in arousing the interest of the children 

 sufficiently so that they will build bird-houses and 

 bring them to school for inspection. The matter 

 may be brought to the attention of the children 

 early in the winter, because the houses may serve 

 as a shelter for the winter birds ; but the children 

 will probably be more enthusiastic in the early 

 spring, when there is a more immediate prospect 

 that the houses will be occupied. 



Method in the Schoolroom. — The subject 

 should be introduced by a general discussion of 

 those birds which nest in hollow trees or other 

 cavities. The children should be asked to search 

 the neighborhood to ascertain to what extent 

 those natural nesting-sites can be found. In many 

 localities these have been entirely cleared away 

 in the development of the land for real-estate 

 purposes, and thus may be urged the necessity 

 of building bird-houses if we would keep up the 



