BY THE WAYSIDE 
63 
sizes of the species. He imitated the 
nest inside and out down to the smallest 
detail, even to the little roughnesses on 
the inside of the hole, that serve as a 
foothold for the bird when he feeds his 
young. The outside of the nest looks 
like a piece of a tree trunk and when it 
is fastened to the proper place is the 
most inviting ready-made bird house 
possible. The birds must find it so be¬ 
cause of 300 boxes that von Berlepsch 
put up in his forest, all but a few were 
inhabited the first year. After such a 
remarkable success he hung up two thou¬ 
sand more that were eagerly settled by 
birds. The news of this success spread 
throughout the country, that one man 
alone was unable to furnish enough bird 
houses for all demands; four factories 
are now making them. The Prussian 
Government then became interested and 
ordered nine thousand, three hundred 
boxes that were offered to our feathered 
friends in the forests of the Grandduchy 
of Hessen. At this time something hap¬ 
pened that taught the people a lesson in 
what birds can do for the forests if they 
are only allowed to live and so eat all 
they want. A most rapacious caterpillar 
appeared in the Thuringia Forests and 
simply devoured every green leaf or 
needle for miles and miles. Our Bird 
Paradise situated right in the middle of 
this devastation looked like a beautiful 
green oasis, and was a sight that must 
have made the heart of every bird lover 
happy. Could there have been a better 
and more direct proof of how birds pay 
for protection? Just as I was writing 
this little report I received a magazine 
from Germany which reports that the 
Government has gone further and has 
installed an ornithologist in Seebach for 
the purpose of giving courses in all prac¬ 
tical matters in regard to bird protection. 
Three of these courses were given in the 
Fall of 1908. Foresters, gardeners, war 
dens and many people interested in birds 
attended them. I should like to tell 
also how special shrubs and trees have 
been grown, that offer most attractive 
and secure sites for nests of such birds 
as do not breed in hollows and how the 
birds are fed in the winter in Seebach. 
Who would not love to visit this Bird 
Paradise and see the thousands of birds 
happy in security and protection, and 
who would not love to hear a concert 
there on a spring morning? 
Amalie Hannig. 
A Glimpse of the St. John’s RiCer. 
Snow, and worse than zero weather in 
Illinois! To wake in the morning three 
days later, well on one’s way up the St. 
John’s river, looking out upon surround¬ 
ings so new and strange that they seem 
charmed, is an experience both novel and 
delightful. 
The St John’s river is one of Florida’s 
unique attractions. On leaving Jackson¬ 
ville, a fog rolled over from the old At¬ 
lantic, so heavy that the lower course of 
the river could not be seen, save for a 
little distance around the boat. The 
white gulls from the sea, and the black 
crows from the land circled together 
around the boat, alike interested in the 
possibility of a meal. Daylight found 
the atmosphere clear, revealing the banks 
farther up the river to be like an en¬ 
chanted scene in a fairv storv. In places 
the river narrows to so small a stream, 
that the passengers at the breakfast table 
can look into the tangle of vegetation on 
the banks only a few feet away, and see 
distinctly the flowers and birds living 
there. Banks, can one say, where real 
estate is advertised for sale by the gallon, 
Continued on page 64. 
