Department of Ornithology 
Under the Direction of the Committees on Bird Preservation and Propagation. 
National Association of Gardeners, L. H. Jensen, St. Louis, Mo., Chairman. 
American Association of Park Superintendents, Hermann Merkel, New York, Chairman. 
BRINGING BACK THE BIRDS. 
npHE town of Brookline, Mass., according to a 
reliable authority, has successfully demonstrated 
the fact that birds are invaluable from an arbori- 
cultural standpoint and that their number may be greatly 
increased in any municipality by a little well-planned 
effort. Like many other New England towns, Brookline 
has a plentiful supply of beautiful trees which are highy 
prized. These the authorities sought by the usual means 
to guard against the attack of insect pests. The cam- 
paign, however, was not entirely successful. The leopard 
moth invaded Brookline and against this tree enemy 
poisonous sprays avail little. Birds alone can hold it in 
check. 
So Brookline, a few years ago, went seriously about 
the business of inducing birds to come and stay. In 1910 
it wanted woodpeckers and it issued its invitation, but 
only a few responded. Three years later, Brookline had 
learned enough through experiment to justify the munic- 
ipality in building and placing a hundred nesting boxes. 
That was the beginning ; year by year since then the 
work has been expanded. The nesting boxes increased 
in number and variety, and, during winter, thousands of 
birds were fed daily at 125 municipal feeding stations, 
operated by the town authorities at the public's expense, 
an appropriation of $750 having been made for "bird 
maintenance." The report says that Brookline is satis- 
fied that the returns from this outav will warrant a con- 
tinuation of the item in the annual budget. 
Every town needs more birds to protect its trees and 
could profitably expend time and money to induce their 
return. Private owners may at a small expense help along 
the good work by placing nesting boxes about their 
grounds and by feeding during the severe weather of 
winter, when the natural sources of food are inaccessible. 
Concerning winter feeding of birds the following hints 
by one who has made the subject a study are valuable: 
"There are many ways of feeding birds in winter, all 
of which are of great benefit. February generally brings 
the worst climatic conditions for the welfare of bird life 
and it is well to be prepared for whatever may come. 
"It is a curious fact, that established feeding stations 
soon become the rendezvous of a greater number of birds 
than those which are moved from place to place, and 
it is therefore very desirable to continue placing the food 
in the same location, once the birds have become accus- 
tomed to it. In placing grain feeders or trays to hold 
crumbs and other scraps, it is best to select a sheltered 
place, such as the southern exposure of a wall or line of 
shrubbery affords. Never place a feeder below three or 
four feet unless you are sure the neighborhood is free 
from cats. A very simple and effective wav of feeding 
juncoes, song sparrows, tree sparrows and other winter 
residents, is to trample and pack the snow underfoot un- 
til it becomes firm. Grain and crumbs may then be 
thrown on the packed area. If this method be followed, 
only a small amount of food should lie put out each dav. 
"Chickadees will be attracted by well broken almonds 
or peanuts placed in a tray nailed to a tree. This is not 
very generally known. Nuthatches will take sunflower 
seed in preference to all others and will afford much 
amusement through their tameness and interesting meth- 
ods of opening the seeds. Suet is, of course, the best all 
around food, as nearly every bird will eat it throughout 
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the winter. This may be fastened to trees or window 
sills, but should be placed in the sun as it becomes very 
hard in extreme weather. Birds will eat nearly twice as 
much when it has become soft in the sunlight." — Tree 
Talk. 
A BIRD SANCTUARY AT GREENWICH, CONN. 
pi\( >BABLY the largest bird sanctuary in this country 
is to be established on the estate of E. C. Converse 
at Greenwich, Conn. Here a tract of 1,800 acres is to be 
established in which houses, food and protection will be 
provided. An expert ornithologist from the Massa- 
chusetts Agricultural College is to have charge of this 
work. A bird census is to be taken first and thus it will 
be possible to know what species are attracted as time 
goes by. 
It is interesting to note here that this tract on which a 
great deal of spraying is done already contains more 
representative species than any other tract in this section 
of the country. This is pretty conclusive evidence that 
spraying has no effect whatever in driving our feathered 
friends away, but on the contrary is an inducement to 
them to build their nests in sprayed trees. Birds much 
prefer trees with dense foliage and it is only by spraying 
that we can hope to keep the leaves on the trees in this 
age of destruction by insects. — Exchange. 
IS IT UNWISE TO 
THE BIRDS? 
more zeal than 
FEED 
FREQUENTLY someone with 
knowledge denounces the winter feeding of the 
birds as unnecessary and economically unwise, 
writes the Rev. Manley B. Townsend, secretary Audubon 
Society of New Hampshire, in the Guide to Nature. 
Such an attitude is a good illustration of the old saying, 
"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing." The latest 
manifesto along this line is by a Kansas professor, who 
declares that feeding the birds has a tendency to diminish 
their usefulness as destroyers of insect eggs, pupae and 
hibernating adults, as it removes the necessity that is 
supposed to keep the birds hustling. It would seem that 
there might be something in this reasoning, but what are 
the facts? Birds prefer their natural food. Where thev 
can get that in sufficient quantities they do not care for 
food that we give them. This is proved conclusively by 
the fact that only winter feeding proves successful. When 
spring conies, the birds leave our food, no matter how 
attractive it may be. Only dire necessity drives them to 
our feeding stations. 
During the winter many birds have difficultv in finding 
sufficient food. Search as they may. the natural supply 
is inadequate. The spark of life burns low and, alas! too 
often flickers out. With a full stomach a bird can bid de- 
fiance to any weather. With fuel under the boiler, suffi- 
cient steam is generated to keep the machinery running. 
Food placed out for the birds may save many a little life 
by providing just the necessary additional fuel needed to 
keep up the steam. The first sharp edge of hunger 
blunted, the bird will pay for his dinner by searching the 
trees in the vicinity and destroying all the insects that he 
can find, for he always prefers his natural food. It pays, 
in dollars and cents, to feed the birds. Every orchard 
should at regular intervals have suet fastened to the trees, 
as well as bird boxes for nesting purposes. 
239 
