44 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
BY THE WAYSIDE 
Published on the tenth of each month except 
July and August. 
The official organ of the Wisconsin and Illinois 
Audubon Societies. 
Twenty-five cents per year Single copies 5 cents 
All communications should be sent to Frederick 
S. Brandenburg, Madison, Wis. 
The Bird Library 
A book that should be included in the 
collection of every bird lover is one by 
Gilbert H. Trafton entitled, “Methods 
of Attracting Birds.” It is written 
from two view-points, that of the birds 
and that of the human beings—for the 
protection of the former and the pleas¬ 
ure of the latter. It comprises the ex¬ 
periences of many persons throughout 
the country and is amply illustrated. 
There are photographs of artificial nest¬ 
ing places of all kinds—rich and poor, 
large and small. One cut shows a 
martin hotel which accommodates five 
thousand birds ; and on the same page 
another illustration is that of a house 
wren that has appropriated a punctured 
tomato can and set up housekeeping in 
bungalo style. Houses of rough boards, 
of clay or made from kegs and barrels 
are described and pictured. No mat¬ 
ter what species of birds one has about 
his home, in this book he will learn how 
to cater to the tastes of his little friend. 
Owls, bob whites and even ducks—the 
most timid of the feathered race—have 
been found to take up their abodes in 
nesting places prepared by man. 
In schools where bird houses are be¬ 
ing made, Mr. Trafton’s book may well 
be used as a text. And to all who are 
interested in making their homes the 
centers of thriving bird colonies,- it is 
indispensable. The book may be ob¬ 
tained of the Houghton, Mifflin Com¬ 
pany, price, $1.25 net. 
A City Bird Reserve 
Mrs. Mary M. Emery of Cincinnati 
has recently purchased a track of wood¬ 
land in the residence section of that city, 
which she has placed in charge of Pro¬ 
fessor H. M. Benedict of the University 
of Cincinnati, to be held as a city bird 
reserve. It is to be surrounded by a 
cat-proof fence and supplied with food 
and water. In this wiay an effort is be¬ 
ing made to bring the native birds back 
to the city. We people who live in 
cities surely realize at what great disad¬ 
vantage we are in studying birds. Most 
of us are unable to purchase a tract for 
a bird reserve, yet each one of us could 
easily make his home a perfect bird par¬ 
adise by building nesting houses for the 
wrens, martins and swallows and by put¬ 
ting out pans of water and morsels of 
food. Especially will such kindness be 
appreciated in the winter months when 
the birds find food foraging a difficult 
proposition. 
Bird Day In France 
France is following in the footsteps of 
this country now in the matter of estab¬ 
lishing an “arbor and bird day.” That 
is one of the semi-holidays that every 
Wisconsin school child looks forward 
to with great anticipation. It would be 
far better for the birds if we had such 
a day once a: month instead of but once 
a year. 
The happy birds that change their sky 
To build and brood; that live their lives 
From land to land. 
Tennyson. 
