| onant variety is a casual winter resident, will ae it food and | 
shelter. 
at will be usually _ necessary to help ‘them in their 
struggle for a nesting place against the English sparrows, 
which are so pugnacious that they drive away these gentle 
birds from boxes and holes in trees which they want to use. 
In eastern localities, bluebirds have been driven from many 
villages to the orchards and wild places, so that they may 
have peace. Perhaps by aiding them, they may be kept 
near homes, for they are splendid tenants in any orchard as | 
they have never been accused of eating cultivated fruit, and 
it is known that 68% of their food is insects. Some wise 
orchard men say that every pair of bluebird tenants are 
worth five dollars to the lucky landlord by the number of 
cutworms they eat, and fruit lovers should Ree to Increase 
their Helpers, | 
One group of city school children raised a brood of | 
bluebirds in a box they provided on their playground, be- 
- cause of an incident they saw. <A boy had found a spotted 
_ bluebird youngster which had fallen out of its nest, and had 
4 carried it several blocks away to his teacher. She told the 
- class that, when possible, such young birds should be placed 
in near-by shrubs or trees, as then the parents could find 
them, while, if taken away, they were likely to die as it is 
so difficult to feed them. 
This baby bird was placed on the window ledoe ina 
a large box having a wire door, with food and water. For 
some time it cried piteously and then a child called the atten- 
tion of all in the room to two bluebirds on a telephone pole. 
When the door of the cage was opened, the mother bird, 
which was known by her gray body with cobalt blue trim- 
mings on her wings and tail, flew to the cage to feed her 
_ young, and then coaxed it.out and away with her into the 
shrubbery. Later a pair took possession of the school box 
and raised a brood. 
coals it not be a good plan to provide : all school yards 
95 
