PARK AND CEMETERY . 
PROTECTING BIRD LIFE IN GERMAN WOODLANDS 
class. Our photographs which were 
taken by iMr. Otto Brand, of Liine- 
berg. will give some idea of the va- 
riety and ingenuity of these exhibits. 
The Federal states of Germany not 
only protect 15:3 species of birds by 
law, but are providing in the parks, 
woodlands and public reservations, 
the comforts and conveniences of 
home life for the feathered tenants 
of the trees whom civilization is 
evicting. They are growing nesting 
hedges ; cultivating, pruning, and 
grafting, nesting bushes; hollowing 
out nesting holes and building nesting 
boxes in the trees; fashioning natural 
and convenient rvinter feeding houses, 
and protecting bird citizens from 
their carnivorous enemies. 
Count von Berlepsch, rvho is the 
father of modern scientific bird pro- 
tection, has invented a machine for 
hollowing out artificial nesting holes 
and adapted man}’ different forms of 
nesting boxes to the preferences of 
the various bird families. His great 
ancestral estate at Seebach, covering 
over 500 acres, is an experiment sta- 
tion for the preservation of bird life. 
Here the protection and encourage- 
ment of birds has been everywhere 
considered in the lardng out and de- 
velopment of the grounds. The thor- 
oughness of all the operations has 
laid the foundation of the modern 
science of bird conservation. The 
Hungarian government sent a trained 
investigator there to study the meth- 
ods which are everywhere based on 
a close imitation of natural conditions 
and a correction of man's marring of 
nature. 
The protection of bird and plant 
life is carried on simultaneously on 
the estate, and special attention is 
given to maintaining undergrowth 
even where the tree growth is dens- 
est. The most essential part of bird 
protection is the providing of nest- 
ing facilities. Over two thousand 
nesting boxes are maintained here for 
the various kinds of birds that nest 
in holes. Hidden in the shrubbery 
are traps for vermin, especially for 
poaching cats. Food houses and 
“food bells’’ are conveniently placed 
for winter feeding. Extraordinary 
success has attended all these opera- 
tions. Ninety per cent of the nest- 
ing boxes are .inhabited. Their ten- 
ants include such birds as titmice, 
woodpeckers, nuthatches, tree creep- 
ers, pied fly catchers, redstarts, starl- 
ings, robins, rvrens and wagtails. 
There are two classes to provide for 
in making nesting boxes, those that 
BIRD “FOOD HOUSF" IN A GERMAN 
PARK. 
^^'hile the value of bird life to 
ever}- branch of horticulture is quite 
generallv recognized in this country, 
little practical work has been done to 
prevent the extermination of certain 
species, and to make life comfortable 
in our oarks, forests and woodlands 
for the common, useful families of 
birds. 
Bird protection in Germany has 
progressed to such an extent that at 
a recent horticultural exhibition in 
I.iinberg, a special class was estab- 
lished for exhibitors of devices for 
housing, feeding and protecting wild 
birds. There were five entries in this 
RIGHT .\ND WRONG WAT TO HANG 
A NESTING BOX. 
Correct Method at the Right; Incorrect 
at the Left. 
THE GERMAN “FOOD BELL.” 
breed in niches and narrow, half open 
cavities, and those that live in deep 
holes entered by a narrow opening 
corresponding to the size of the body. 
Count von Berlepsch noticed that 
the birds preferred deserted or unin- 
habited woodpecker holes and con- 
ceived the idea of imitating the work 
of the woodpecker by the hand of 
man. The opening for the nest is al- 
ways circular, and inclining upward 
to keep out the rain. The nest proper 
runs down into a deep bottle-shaped 
cavity, ending in a pointed bowl. The 
inner walls are somewhat uneven to 
NESTING BUSH PRUNED TO 
RECEIVE NEST. 
