USEFUL BIRDS 
43 
whose fruit affords food to the l)irds. Some of tliese should l)e 
ou everyone’s ^^rounds. 
The estal)lishmeut of bird refuges and game ])reserves are do- 
ing much to conserve l)ird life. The artistic bird houses now on 
the market not only constructed for blue birds, wrens, and martins, 
but also for nuthatches, woodpeckers, and other species, are a help 
in this direction. An ingenious boy or man can easily construct 
houses which ansAver the requirements very well and at but little 
expense. 
In passing, it may be well to state a few very necessary facts 
about bird houses known to many but not all. Wren houses should 
be freed of the preceding year’s litter before one can expect them 
to attract new comers. If the entrance to a wren house is the size 
of a silver quarter, it will admit the wwen but keep out the Euro- 
])ean or English sparrow. Martin houses should be placed on high 
poles or in conspicuous places where the martins can see them, 
not too near to trees. A weather-worn martin house, by the way, is 
ap])arently more attractive to these birds than a newly painted 
domicile. 
The Erush Hill bird Club, of Milton, Mass., has published the 
following directions relative to the construction of bird houses : 
BLUEBIRDS AND TREE SWALLOW:— Box, 12x6x5; size of hole, DA 
inches; height from ground, 8 to 30 feet. 
WRENS AND CHICKADEES: — Box, 12x5x4 inches; size of hole, 1% 
inches; height, 6 to 25 feet. 
FLICKERS: — Box, 15x10x8 inches; hole, 3 to 3 A inches; height, 6 to 25 
feet. 
SCREECH OWL: — Box, 15x12x12 inches; hole, 3 to 3A inches; height, 15 
feet. 
MARTIN HOUSE COLONY: — Holes, 2 inches; pole, 16 to 20 feet high in 
open spot where Martins can easily see it. 
The cover should 1)e detachable so that the l)Ox can be cleaned easily. 
A sloping top with an overhang is a protection to the young birds from 
both sun and rain. 
Squirrels may be kept out of the boxes by putting a piece of zinc around 
the hole so that they cannot enlarge it by gnawing. 
The box should be ventilated. 
Poles are preferable to trees for erecting houses, as they afford protec- 
tion from both cats and squirrels. 
Wood is the best material. Tin or earthen boxes should be placed in 
the shade. 
The entrances to bird houses should be, as far as possilffe, on 
the sheltered side, protected, to a certain extent, from rain, and 
it should be borne in mind that too much “meddling” ou the 
