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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..509e466 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #65548 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65548) diff --git a/old/65548-0.txt b/old/65548-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 538c666..0000000 --- a/old/65548-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,3469 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of How To Have Bird Neighbors, by S. Louise -Patteson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: How To Have Bird Neighbors - -Author: S. Louise Patteson - -Release Date: June 7, 2021 [eBook #65548] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -Produced by: Steve Mattern, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS *** - - [Illustration: STRINGS AND COTTON AND CHICKEN FEATHERS FOR THE - BIRDS’ NESTINGS (_See page 56_)] - - - - - HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS - - - BY - S. LOUISE PATTESON - AUTHOR OF “PUSSY MEOW, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A CAT” - AND “KITTY-KAT KIMMIE, A CAT’S TALE” - - PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR - COVER BY HELEN BABBITT AND ETHEL BLOSSOM - - D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY - BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAGO - - COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY - S. LOUISE PATTESON - 118 - - DEDICATED TO - BOYS AND GIRLS - - - - - FOREWORD - - -This narrative of neighborship with birds is suggestive rather than -exhaustive. It aims not so much to inform the reader, as to instill in -him the desire to learn from the outdoors itself, to know _at first -hand_ about the charms and the benefactions of birdlife. The observing -reader will supply what has been left unsaid, and so experience the zest -of initiative, the joy of discovery, in our mysterious and manifold -bird-world. - - S. L. P. - - Waldheim, - East Cleveland, Ohio, - October, 1917. - - [Illustration: SUET AND DOUGHNUTS FOR DOWNY, CORN FOR THE CARDINAL, - CEREAL FOR THE SONG SPARROW] - - - - - CONTENTS - - - PAGE - List of Illustrations vii - I. My First Bird Neighbors 1 - II. New Adventures in Birdland 11 - III. Real Troubles in Birdland 21 - IV. The Bluebirds’ Bungalow 28 - V. The Wrens’ Apartment House 36 - VI. The Boy 44 - VII. The Chimney Swifts 62 - VIII. Birds Not of a Feather 68 - IX. The Martins’ Aircastle 78 - X. More about the Boy 92 - XI. The Cardinals 102 - XII. My Bird Family 110 - Glossary 123 - Directions for Making Bird Houses 127 - Index 130 - - [Illustration: GOLDFINCH FEEDING BABIES] - - - - - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS - - - Strings and cotton and chicken feathers for the birds’ - nestings _Frontis_ - PAGE - Suet and doughnuts for downy, corn for the cardinal, cereal for - the song sparrow v - Goldfinch feeding babies vi - “Oh, where is Mother?” viii - The basin on the porch railing 1 - They were making that can into a bird home 4 - The baby robins 9 - One winter day a pigeon came in at an open window 10 - Vacant lots attract birds 11 - The winter birds like peanuts and suet 13 - When I did not have peanuts I gave the nuthatch doughnuts 14 - The dear happy chickadee 17 - The selfish nuthatch 20 - Cats belong on their own premises 21 - The basin was Bunny’s looking glass 22 - The genial gray squirrel 27 - The return of the bluebird 28 - Sometimes she was just gliding through the entrance as he alighted - on the housetop with a choice morsel for her 31 - Bluebird babies to feed and care for 33 - The bluebirds moved into the pretty double house 34 - Rented for the summer 36 - The small wren house in the pear tree 39 - A baby wren on the window sill 43 - Bluebirds are great helpers in a garden 44 - Baby flicker peeps at the outside world 49 - Mrs. Wood Thrush on her nest 51 - A killdeer’s nest in a potato field 53 - The bluebirds in their primitive home 55 - Every little while a goldfinch came to the “store” tree and got - some string 57 - The chimney swifts’ temporary home 60 - The flicker is also called golden-winged woodpecker 61 - Chimney swifts’ nest 62 - One of these Swift babies was put to rest in the nest, but he did - not stay there long 63 - A robin’s nest 68 - Near the nest tree was a big stone which the redheaded woodpecker - used as a perch 74 - Each little goldfinch called as loud as he could 76 - A young goldfinch alighted on the clothes line 77 - This martin scout brought a lady with him 78 - The martins’ aircastle 81 - The home-coming of the martins 87 - A great gathering in mid-air 91 - A bath for birds and a lunch beside it 92 - The crested flycatcher and a Berlepsch house 95 - Kitty watching for mice 98 - The new food house was visited by bluejays 100 - A feedery much liked by downy 101 - A tree trimmed with peanuts for the birds 102 - The cardinal’s favorite feedery 105 - Always Mr. Cardinal came first and ate a while; then she would - follow 109 - Song sparrow 110 - Mother Oriole in the bath 113 - So made that they can be easily opened after use and cleaned 116 - Food house, made out of waste materials 118 - Maybe they will fly to us, instead of away from us 121 - The birdies’ policeman 122 - The finished martin house 128 - Raising the martin house 128 - - [Illustration: “OH, WHERE IS MOTHER?”] - - - - - HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS - - - [Illustration: THE BASIN ON THE PORCH RAILING] - - - - - HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS - - - - - I - MY FIRST BIRD NEIGHBORS - - -The birds that live in my yard are the loveliest of all my neighbors. -During the springtime and summer they awaken me every morning with their -sweet songs. Then all the day long their pretty ways make me wish I had -nothing to do but to watch them. - -Now I can imagine someone saying, “If I had a yard, I, too, would try to -have bird neighbors.” Listen! Before I had a yard I had bird neighbors -on my porch. - -How did I get them? - -In summer, a basin of water on the porch railing, and in winter, the -basin filled with table scraps—this is what did it. On the porch of that -apartment house I learned how to neighbor with birds. - -A kind lady in the next house tied suet and strings of peanuts to one of -her trees. During winter and spring the woodpeckers enjoyed the treat, -while we enjoyed the woodpeckers! Pigeons and bluejays came too, and, -yes, English sparrows, those birds that are nowhere welcome. But they -didn’t have it all their own way there, as they do where nothing is done -to attract other birds. - -One winter day a beautiful blue and white pigeon with rose-colored neck -came in at an open window. The streets were covered with snow. It was -hard for birds to find anything to eat. This pigeon ate some rolled oats -that I scattered before it, drank some water, and walked into a corner. -After a nap it ate some more; then took another nap. When it awoke again -I set it in a waste-paper basket by the open window, so it could go away -when it pleased. It took several more helpings of oats. Toward evening -it flew away. - -Among the pigeons that used to come often to my porch was my little -guest of a day. As the pigeons ate they always cooed. Perhaps they were -remarking how good it tasted. - -In early spring the robins came. They liked little scraps of meat. -Chopped raw beef was to them the greatest treat. At the basin they not -only drank, but spread their wings over it and splashed the water all -around, trying to bathe in that shallow dish. It was only a big -flower-pot saucer. While the weather was still cold, they began to sing -mornings before daylight. It was like listening to Christmas carols to -hear them. - -On mild and thawing days they could be seen hopping over my neighbor’s -lawn. Most cunningly they would turn their heads to one side, then to -the other. It is said that they do this so they can hear the worms and -insects move about in the ground. I believe it; for often I have seen a -robin, after listening intently at some spot, stop to scratch and dig, -then pull out a worm. - -The robins often pulled and jerked at the morning-glory vines on our -porch. Whenever they got one loose they would gather it up in loops with -the bill and carry it away. They also tore strings off our mop and flew -away with them. - -On a pillar of our porch there hung a can in which we sometimes put -flowers. One rainy April day a little wren alighted on the edge of that -can and looked in. The can was empty at the time, so the bird went -inside, but came out again quickly and flew away. - -Pretty soon two wrens came, and both went inside. Then for several days -they made frequent visits to that can, and there was almost constant -trilling of the merriest bubbling songs. Sometimes there was just a -chatter back and forth, as if they were talking or arguing. These wrens -were so much together that I concluded they were mates. - - [Illustration: THEY WERE MAKING THAT CAN INTO A BIRD HOME] - -They fetched little twigs of all kinds and dropped them into that can. -They also fetched bits of cloth and chicken feathers, as if they -actually intended to make a feather bed. Mr. Wren could carry things in -his bill and sing at the same time. Once in a while, when he brought -something, Mrs. Wren chattered louder than usual. It sounded as though -she wasn’t pleased with what he had brought. Sometimes she wouldn’t even -let him in, and, after carrying his burden around for a while, he would -drop it. But he sang on just as happily, and entertained her while she -did most of the work. This went on for several days. At last they -fetched grasses, too. It was a joy to see how happy they were at their -work. They were making that can into a bird home. - -When the little home was finished, Mrs. Wren loved it so well that for -about two weeks she stayed in it nearly all the time. Mr. Wren brought -her many kinds of bugs and worms to eat, and sang to her all the day -long. - -Soon there were some baby wrens in that little home. Again Father and -Mother Wren worked hard from daylight until dark, fetching worms and -bugs for their babies to eat. Whenever one came home with a bill full, -he glided right in among those thorny twigs. How they could do it -without getting pricked was a wonder! - -One day all this was changed. Instead of going into their little home -with provisions, both Father and Mother Wren stayed out on the edge, and -held a worm or a bug where the little ones could see it. After a while, -one of the baby birds came up a little way to receive a helping of the -food. But the big outdoors must have frightened him; for he ducked right -down again. The next one that came out had more courage, or else he was -more hungry. He received a helping; then gazed about him a little. -Evidently the world looked pleasant to him. He shook his feathers, -flapped his wings, and didn’t go back into the little home at all. This -was just what Father and Mother wanted him to do, and each gave him a -whole worm, although the birdies inside were calling for some too. - -The day was fine. It was still early. The babies would have all day in -which to get used to the outdoors if they would come out now. To-morrow -it might rain, and the next day, and the next. The babies were quite old -enough to live outside of that stuffy can. They must come out to-day,—so -Father and Mother Wren had decided. - -After the little venturer had received several helpings, another -birdling came scrambling up. He got all of the next helping. Mother Wren -was among the porch vines, chirping. Every little while she flew to the -little ones, fluttered her wings before them, and then flew back to the -vines. In this way she was coaxing them to follow her. - -Before Number Three came out, the mother had Numbers One and Two safely -among the vines. Number Four came close behind Number Three. It wasn’t -very pleasant to stay down in the can all alone. The mother kept up her -coaxing until she managed to get them all in nice, shady places. - -It was now about nine o’clock. The rest of the day was spent quietly -among the vines. After they had rested a little from the excitement of -their first flight, Mother tried to keep them moving from vine to vine. -One was more clever than the others. He learned everything quickly. - -The Wren family lived in the vines all the next day. On the third day -Mother Wren began to coax them farther away. Back and forth she flew -between the porch and my neighbor’s tree, and around in circles, to show -the babies how to do it. Father Wren coaxed them on with a white worm in -his bill. He was not singing much now, because these growing birds -needed more and more food. Also, father-wisdom bade him keep quiet lest -his babies be discovered and come to harm. - -The cleverest of the four was also the biggest; so it was easy to tell -him from the rest. Again, he was always the first to venture. But as he -neared the tree, when he had almost reached his goal, he began to drop; -and he fell to the ground. Fearing some harm might come to him, I went -down quickly with the long-handled dust mop. It was fuzzy, and soft for -him to rest on. With it I hoisted him to a low branch. Mother and Father -Wren scolded, but went to the young bird as soon as my back was turned. -Birds do not like to have people meddle with their affairs; but -sometimes when they are in trouble we can help them. - -Maybe this little mishap showed Mother Wren that her babies were not yet -strong enough to fly so far. Anyway, she waited until the next day -before she urged the others to go. Even then she was not quite decided. -At dinner time the three were still on the porch. They had reached the -highest rung of the trellis. In the afternoon, when I returned from -school, they were gone. Father Wren was again singing his cheery songs. -He had kept pretty quiet while the little ones were learning to fly. -Why? Because he did not want anyone to find out where they were. - -My robins, meanwhile, had made themselves a nest on a high window sill -at the far end of the porch; but not until the wrens began nesting did I -discover it. Already there were three blue eggs in it. The robins seemed -so distressed at being found out that we kept away from that end of the -porch until they got well used to us. The wrens didn’t fear us at all. -They came to their nest no matter how many people were on the porch. - -I had now learned what the wrens and the robins like for their nestings; -so I fastened strings, shreds of cloth, some cotton, and small chicken -feathers to the low branches of my neighbor’s trees, and also on my -porch. I had read somewhere that some birds will pull feathers out of -their own bodies, if they can find none elsewhere, with which to line -their nests. After the wrens had cleaned out the can, they helped -themselves to cotton and feathers, and made ready for their second -nesting. - -Father and Mother Robin were such devoted parents, it seemed as if they -couldn’t do enough. Their babies always craned their necks and opened -their bills wide as soon as they heard anyone near. As they grew older -they also chattered and flapped their wings. Sometimes they fluttered -over the sides of the nest so far that I feared they would fall off the -high window sill. - - [Illustration: THE BABY ROBINS] - -One morning the robins’ nest was empty, and the young were over on my -neighbor’s lawn. For convenience I will call this neighbor Mrs. Daily. -She lived on our right. The neighbor to our left was Mrs. Cotton. - -A birds’ bath at Mrs. Daily’s and the tree with nesting materials on it -showed the birds that they were welcome there. So the parents coaxed -their young in that direction. - -Mrs. Cotton also tried to attract birds. But her basin sometimes went -dry for days. Also, she had a big, beautiful cat that was usually -somewhere in the yard. It was not so inviting there, according to birds’ -ways of thinking, nor so safe for their young, as over at Mrs. Daily’s, -where the cat was kept in. - -I kept our kitty locked up night and day, and asked my neighbors to keep -their cats in, too, until these young robins could fly up into trees. At -first they could only fly sideways. It is more than just a kind act to -save young robins from harm: it is saving birds who will be useful and -pleasing all their lives, and who will spread happiness wherever they -go. - -When I saw how my birds left me as soon as their young could fly, I -began to wish that I, too, had a yard and trees, like my neighbors. I -longed to have more birds, and birds of different kinds. - - [Illustration: ONE WINTER DAY A PIGEON CAME IN AT AN OPEN WINDOW] - - [Illustration: VACANT LOTS ATTRACT BIRDS] - - - - - II - NEW ADVENTURES IN BIRDLAND - - -I got my wish: Our present home is a whole house, with a yard. We have -big trees and little ones, and on one side there is a grape arbor. All -around us are vacant lots, where thornapple bushes, dogwood trees, and -tall sunflowers grow. These attract birds. Behind the vacant lots there -is a ravine with wild cherry trees, elder bushes, wild grape tangles, -and other attractions for birds. - -The wrens and the robins had gone to their winter homes when we moved, -and the woodpeckers had come. I had bought a bird guide with colored -pictures, and a pair of field glasses which brought those black and -white birds very near to me. Some had red on the back of the head. They -were the downy woodpeckers. A bird very much like the downy, but larger, -was the hairy woodpecker. And there were birds just like the downy and -hairy but without the red patch on the head. They were the mates of the -downy and the hairy. - -Whenever I heard a brisk “chsip,” I could see downy approach in -graceful, curving flight toward some tree. Usually he perched near the -bottom and climbed up, pecking and scratching as he went. Sometimes he -alighted higher up and came down cat-fashion, but always busily pecking -at the bark. The hairy did the same. This must be why these birds are -called woodpeckers. - -Knowing how well the winter birds like peanuts and suet, I fastened -strings of peanuts across a bird table that I had made, and in the tray -below I kept suet. I also scattered chickfeed on the ground beside a -tree, and added to it buckwheat and sunflower seeds. But I soon learned -better than to put anything for birds near a tree behind which a cat -could hide! - -It was great fun to watch the different birds select their favorite -food. The woodpeckers liked the suet so well that, while it was on hand, -they hardly ever touched the peanuts. Downy also liked the chickfeed; -but he did not like to step down to the ground. In trying to get it, he -would back down the tree until his tail touched the ground. Then, -without leaving the tree and while propped on his tail, he reached over -to the right or left and picked up kernels. In this way he could eat -without stepping on the ground. - - [Illustration: THE WINTER BIRDS LIKE PEANUTS AND SUET] - -And downy had good eating manners. He never hurried, never fidgeted. -Sometimes he stayed twenty minutes at a meal and ate slowly and quietly, -like a well-bred person. - - [Illustration: WHEN I DID NOT HAVE PEANUTS I GAVE THE NUTHATCH - DOUGHNUTS] - -Another bird that came to my place in winter had a light blue back and a -white front. His wings and tail were dark blue, and so was the top of -his head. I always knew he was near when I heard a sound like “gack” or -“yack.” He liked the peanuts better than anything else. With his sharp -bill he would punch a nut, then hold down the shell while he pulled out -the kernel. Maybe this is why he is called the nuthatch. Sometimes, when -I did not have peanuts, I gave him doughnuts. He liked them just as -well. He would nibble at a doughnut until it dropped from the nail, then -go to the ground and forage there. He liked cheese also. - -I soon found that somebody else, too, liked suet and peanuts. This was -the red squirrel, and when he was on the table the birds would not come -near. However, it was birds I wanted and not squirrels,—especially not -the red squirrel, who is said to bother birds in many ways. To keep him -away I nailed tin sheeting around the post of the bird table. - -I am sorry to say that the nuthatch was not at all polite to other -birds. He always wanted all the food himself, no matter how much there -was on hand. He would flit from one feeding place to another and chase -the other birds away. I stopped putting peanuts on the table, so that he -would have no excuse to go there and the birds who liked the suet might -eat in peace. I put all the peanuts on the tree farthest back in the -vacant lot and made the selfish nuthatch eat there by himself. - -Another thing that was not nice about the nuthatch was his way of -eating. He was always in a hurry. He would take the kernel out of a nut, -walk up the tree with it, and fly away. Then he would come back quickly -and do the same thing again, as if afraid another bird might get -something. Sometimes he kept this up for an hour or more. Even after all -the peanuts were moved to his tree, he would bluster around at the other -feeding places and try to drive those peaceable birds away. - -The dearest of all my winter birds were some that came singing in all -sorts of weather. I called them my little minstrels. - -“Chicaday, chicaday, chicaday-day-day-day,” was their song. Somebody has -named them chickadees, and the name just fits. If you should see a -little gray bird with a black cap and bib, who comes singing that song, -you may know that you have seen a chickadee. - -The chickadees were not at all particular what they ate. They sang just -as cheerily when they had only breadcrumbs as they did when they found -suet and peanuts and sunflower seeds. They never wasted their food. If -any fell to the ground they picked it up. They were the politest of -birds and, like the downy and the hairy, they worked at the trees most -of the time. - -These winter birds are some of nature’s best house-cleaners. They work -all through the cold and stormy season when the other birds are away in -their sunny winter homes. Should we not remember to give them a treat -once in a while, and so brighten the cold days with good cheer? - -From the very first, I heard many bird voices coming from the ravine. So -one morning I took a walk out that way. Scattered all along were tall -sunflowers, now gone to seed. Foraging on some were the noisy bluejays, -on others the dear happy chickadees. The trees were bare, so that I -could see as well as hear the birds. Woodpeckers were tapping, pecking, -delving. All along I heard this pleasing, friendly music, as if the -birds were following me. So pleasant was my walk that I did not realize -how far I was going until I was at the end of the city, where the -country begins. - - [Illustration: THE DEAR HAPPY CHICKADEE] - -A good way off were some widely scattered houses. On a tall pole near -the first house was a very large bird house. As I drew nearer, three -small bird houses came in sight. - -I made up my mind to get acquainted with the people in that home. A -pleasant lady opened the door and invited me in. - -“Who put up those bird houses?” I asked, the first thing. - -“That’s my boy,” said the lady. “He just loves to tinker with his -tools.” She pointed with pride to a clock shelf which she said he had -made for her birthday. - -“And he made that big bird house, too?” I asked. - -“He made every one,” answered the lady, “and he is making more. He is -learning it in the manual training school.” - -I told her I wanted to make some bird houses, but didn’t know just how -to go about it. - -Then she led me into a tiny room off the kitchen. There by the window -stood an old dry goods box that had been fitted up as a work bench, with -a vise and a rack for small tools. Larger tools were hanging on the -wall. On some shelves were wooden boxes and boards. On the work bench -lay a bird house. I picked it up and looked at it. - -“He says that’s to be for wrens,” explained the lady. From a chest she -produced another bird house which she said was for bluebirds. - -“He makes them out of these boxes that he gets from our grocer,” she -added, “and I save the starch boxes for him.” - -The lady had much to do, so I made ready to go. But she went on talking: - -“At first, I couldn’t bear to give up this little storeroom. But since I -have seen how happy it makes Laddie to have this little ‘shop,’ as he -calls it, I am glad I gave in to him. Would you believe it: from the -time he begins to work with these tools until he lays them down again he -whistles and sings like a bird himself! I think anything that makes a -boy so contented must be good for him.” - -The lady then went about her work, telling me not to hurry. So I stayed -to take some measurements of the bird houses. Both were made so that -they could be opened in front. - -“He makes them that way so they can be easily cleaned,” explained the -lady. - -On the way home I stopped at our grocer’s and got some small wooden -boxes. Two were yeast foam boxes, and one was a cocoa box. I, too, had -learned in manual training school how to use simple tools, so I bought -also a saw, plane, shaving knife, brace and set of bits, and a small -vise. Then out of an old sewing machine stand I made a work bench, and a -light corner of the basement became my “shop.” I made those yeast foam -boxes into wren houses, and out of the cocoa box I made a bluebird -house. The boy’s mother had told me that his manual training teacher was -a lady, and that she was “just as good as a man,” so I felt quite proud -of my new fancy work. - -The house for bluebirds and one for wrens were put up in trees. The -other wren house was mounted on a post above the grape arbor. But it did -not stay there long, for I soon found that a grape arbor is no place for -a bird house. Can you guess why not? - -It was while waiting for the wrens and the bluebirds to come that I had -such delightful times with the woodpeckers, the nuthatches and the -chickadees. - - [Illustration: THE SELFISH NUTHATCH] - - [Illustration: CATS BELONG ON THEIR OWN PREMISES] - - - - - III - REAL TROUBLES IN BIRDLAND - - -I said that birds were lovely neighbors. So are some other animals. At -my new home I soon became acquainted with a wild rabbit. Two dogs roamed -around in the vacant lots and in the ravine a great deal. Often when I -heard them barking, the next thing I saw would be Bunny, running as fast -as he could toward our place, with the dogs after him. Bunny could glide -through under the garden fence, and that was lucky for him. The dogs -were too big and couldn’t. - -I was glad when Bunny came to our place for safety. He liked slices of -apple so well that he would come nearer and nearer to get them, until -finally he ate out of my hand. - - [Illustration: THE BASIN WAS BUNNY’S LOOKING-GLASS] - -One hot day while Bunny was in our yard, he saw the birds’ basin, and -went there to drink. He had been accustomed to drink at the brook in the -ravine, where the water always runs, if there is any. But the brook was -dried up at this time of year. The clear, still water in the basin was a -new thing to Bunny. He took a long look at it. Seeing himself pictured -in the water was another new thing to him, and he looked again and -again. Evidently he thought himself quite handsome, for even after it -rained and the brook filled up again, he still kept coming. The basin -was his looking-glass. - -I am sorry for what I have to tell about some other animals. One day our -neighbor’s cat lay crouching near the tree under which the chickfeed was -scattered. A downy woodpecker was just coming down the tree. Kitty’s -eyes glared. Her teeth chattered. But evidently the downy did not see -her. I scolded Kitty and drove her away. This disturbed the downy, and -he flew away too. But that was better than to let him come down where -Kitty could jump on him. She could easily have done so while he was -reaching over to the ground for a kernel. - -After this experience I covered up all the chickfeed beside the tree, -and scattered some in more exposed places, away from any trees and from -bushes. I also laid suet on low branches of trees and tied it on firmly, -and poked some into small holes of old trees, and under the bark. - -Soon afterward I saw the same cat again. This time she was on a branch, -eating suet. That set me to thinking: “If the cat can get to the suet in -the tree, she will also be able to get to the bird houses. Some day she -might find some baby birds in there, not yet able to fly.” - -I did not take away the suet which the birds liked so well. I got some -tin sheeting and tacked it around the tree. The cat could not climb over -the smooth sheeting. - -Imagine my surprise when I saw her up there at the suet again! “How did -she get there?” I wondered to myself. Day after day I watched Kitty -before I found her out. - -One morning, who should go climbing up that tree but a red squirrel? -When he reached the tin, he looked around and made a loud chatter. -Seeing no one, he took one big jump over the sheeting and went to the -suet. After tasting it, he wiped his mouth on the bark as if he did not -like it. Then he went over to the bluebird house. The entrance to this -little house had been nicked by somebody with sharp little teeth. Now I -found out who that somebody was. This squirrel was even now nibbling at -the entrance, trying to make it still bigger. At the wren house somebody -had broken off the little porch, which was probably the squirrel’s doing -also. - -I wondered what I should do to keep this squirrel from spoiling my bird -houses. Some more tin sheeting, I thought, would fix it so he could not -jump over. I put another sheet just above the first one. That made the -tin protection thirty-six inches deep. When the squirrel came the next -time, he climbed as far as he could, then looked up at the tin. That was -too high a jump. He turned, jumped to the ground, and scampered away. - -The pilfering red squirrel is not to be confounded with the genial gray -squirrel of our parks, who loves to take peanuts out of our hands. - -I still wondered how Kitty had made her way to the suet, with the tin -around that tree. Surely she could not jump over the tin! As a jumper -the squirrel can beat Kitty any time. One day I heard a scratching -noise. Kitty was sharpening her claws on the bark of the next tree. -Every little while she climbed a few steps up that tree; then sharpened -her claws again. There was nothing in that tree that she could harm, so -I let her go on. She walked along on one of the branches, and jumped -across to a branch on the other tree, the one that held the bluebird -house, and smelled around there. It was early spring. There were no -young birds in the house yet; so I let her go on, just to see what she -would do. Some English sparrows had started to nest in the little house. -Kitty pulled out grasses and feathers, and spoiled the nest. - -Now just think how wise she was to plan that all out so nicely! And all -she gets for it is scolding! Why should we blame Kitty for liking birds? -We like our chicken dinners. We praise Kitty when she catches a mouse or -a rat. Some people even entice her to catch English sparrows. How can -she know it is good to clean out a mouse nest and naughty to clean out a -bird nest? - -Two things can be done to lessen the loss of birds by cats. First, to -safeguard in every possible way every bird house, feeding place, and -bath. Second, to compel the owners of cats to keep them on their own -premises, and to lock them up nights. It is at night, when there is no -one to interfere, that cats do the most damage to birds. - -I knew that if Kitty could jump from that tree to the next one, the -squirrel could do it, too; so I put double tin sheeting on that tree -also. - -But such a clever cat and such a nimble squirrel would also know how to -climb the grape arbor, I thought; so I took the wren house off the -arbor. This house also had been nibbled and the entrance made much -larger. I concluded that the worst of all places for a bird house is a -grape arbor, a pergola, or a garden arch. - -A friend had sent me a beautiful wren house. It was shaped like a small -barrel, and had four rooms. I called it the apartment house. -Fortunately, it was made of such hard wood that no squirrel could bite -through. I had this house put on a tin-sheathed post on the north side -of the house where it would be in shade. - -For the bluebirds I put up two new houses. The one that had been up all -winter was so smelly of squirrels and English sparrows that I knew the -dainty bluebirds would not like it. The time was near for the birds to -return from their winter homes. I wanted everything clean and safe for -them. - - [Illustration: THE GENIAL GRAY SQUIRREL] - - [Illustration: THE RETURN OF THE BLUEBIRD] - - - - - IV - THE BLUEBIRDS’ BUNGALOW - - -I love the springtime because it brings my birds back from their winter -homes. - -One cold March day I saw something blue flash across the sky. - -“Can that be the bluebird I have been waiting for?” I thought. - -It flew into a tree; then alighted on a clothesline post. I could -plainly see the blue on its back and the red on its front. Yes, it was -the bluebird. His song was as beautiful as his plumage, but in a minor -tone: - - “De-_ary! De-_ary!” - -Next he flew to the top of the wren house, tripped along the roof, -leaned over and looked at the little porches. Then he went down on one -of them and looked into the room. That was as far as he could go. The -entrances to these apartments had been made for the tiny wrens and not -for bluebirds. When he saw the bluebird house in the tree, he flew to a -branch just in front of it and looked at it a while. Then he flew back -to the wren house and tried that again; he liked it so well, he couldn’t -bear to give it up. - -After a week or so another bird came, of much paler hue, but with the -reddish breast. The song of my bluebird now became long and pleading: -“Deary! dear, dear, deary!” But it still remained subdued and minor. -Together he and his newly arrived companion visited the bird houses, so -I concluded that they were mates. They could hardly make up their minds -which house to take, so pleased were they with all of them. Mrs. -Bluebird tried the wren house, too. But when she saw she could not get -inside she did not go there any more. - -My prettiest bluebird house was on our hammock post, well shaded by our -biggest tree. I had read somewhere that bluebirds like to have one house -for spring and another for summer. So this house was made with two -rooms, one above the other. I thought the bluebirds would surely like -this double house better than the single one, for they went inside it -many times, and always stayed there long. - -The other house, which was mounted on a young maple, was not nearly so -pretty. It was made out of cigar boxes and I had forgotten to take off -the labels. After the bluebirds had visited it I did not dare touch it -because, if their houses are interfered with, birds are liable to go -away. Both the maple and the hammock post were well protected with tin -sheeting. - -One day Mrs. Bluebird fetched some grasses in her bill. To my great joy -she alighted on the perch in front of the double house. Twice she poised -to fly, but did not. At last she flew—and where do you think she went? -Why, to that ugly little house with the labels on it! - - [Illustration: SOMETIMES SHE WAS JUST GLIDING THROUGH THE ENTRANCE - AS HE ALIGHTED ON THE HOUSETOP WITH A CHOICE MORSEL FOR HER] - -While she was in the house, Mr. Bluebird alighted on the porch, looked -in, and sang a little song. Mrs. Bluebird flew out past him and almost -brushed him off. Then he went inside, and just as Mrs. Bluebird returned -with some more grasses he came out with a chip in his bill. Some chips -had fallen inside when I made the entrance, and he did not like that. -The little house must be clean, since Mrs. Bluebird was going to make -her nest in it. Sometimes he brought a grass or two; she brought whole -wads of grasses. But he made up in attentions to her. Wherever she might -be working, he perched near by, on a fence post or a low branch, and -kept his eyes on her. As she went from place to place to find the right -kind of grasses, or to the little house to throw them in, he always -followed her. Sometimes she was just gliding through the entrance with a -load as he alighted on the housetop with a choice morsel for her to eat. - -One day our neighbor’s cat was hiding behind an evergreen near where -Mrs. Bluebird was hunting grasses. Mr. Bluebird’s bright eyes saw her -just in time. - -“Dear-dear-dear!” he cried, quickly and jerkily. - -Mrs. Bluebird knew that that meant, “Danger! Fly quick!!” Up she flew, -and away. - -The cat jumped high and almost caught her. - -After that I chased the cat away every time I saw her. There certainly -should be a law to make people keep their cats at home. - -When Mrs. Bluebird had her house all furnished she stayed at home about -two weeks and took a good rest. Mr. Bluebird continued to bring her -meals and to entertain her. When he was not hunting bugs and worms, or -chasing English sparrows, he was sure to be somewhere near home, singing -his sweetest songs. - -When Mrs. Bluebird was able to be out again she and Mr. Bluebird were -busier than ever. Both were carrying food to the little house. I knew -then that they had babies in there, so I called him Father, and her -Mother. - - [Illustration: BLUEBIRD BABIES TO FEED AND CARE FOR] - -The bluebirds caught some of their food in the air, but a good deal of -it they picked up in my garden. I had some low stakes there expressly -for them. They perched on these and on the bean-poles, and from there -pounced on many a luckless worm or bug that their sharp eyes espied. I -am sure the bluebirds are great helpers in a garden. - -After two busy weeks of baby-tending, Father and Mother Bluebird did -just what the little wrens had done. They made the babies come outside -for their food, or go hungry. - -I think the first little bird to leave a nest must be very courageous. -The others usually follow close after him. It was so with these -bluebirds. And as they came out, one after another, Mother coaxed them -over to the thornapple bushes. She did it by calling, “Dear dear,” and -flying back and forth between the little house and the bushes. - - [Illustration: THE BLUEBIRDS MOVED INTO THE PRETTY DOUBLE HOUSE] - -Some of the baby bluebirds were quite obedient and flew after the -mother. Two liked it so well on a branch in front of their house that -they stayed there a while; then flew to other branches in the same tree. -Father looked after these, and Mother stayed with the other three. What -a chatter they always made when food was brought to them! It seemed as -if each one said: “Come to me! Come to me!” - -While Father and Mother Bluebird had those babies to feed and to care -for, they started another housekeeping. This time they moved into the -pretty double house and took the lower story. In the second coming-out -party there were four more little bluebirds. - -All through this second housekeeping the English sparrows tried -repeatedly to get into the upper story, and Father Bluebird had to spend -much time chasing them away. In the one-story house he had that much -more time to get food, or to sing. - -I did not clean the bungalow house after their first nesting, because I -did not want the bluebirds to nest in it again. After the double house -was vacated, I cleaned both houses, and found that the bluebirds had -used only grasses and a few feathers for their nesting. In each case -they had covered the entire floor with grasses, but the cup-like nest -was back against the rear wall, as far from the entrance as it could -possibly be. - -What could this mean but that the bluebird likes a house with depth so -she can bed her young as far back from meddling paws as possible? This -much I learned from examining the deserted bluebird nests. - - [Illustration: RENTED FOR THE SUMMER] - - - - - V - THE WRENS’ APARTMENT HOUSE - - -A four-room house which had been sent to me was very much liked by a -pair of wrens. Again their lively, rippling notes filled the air, as -these wrens went from room to room of this “apartment house,” as I -called it. It was three days before they made up their minds which room -they liked best. - -Then they brought little twigs and bits of rag, and leaves, and other -things, and poked them into one of the rooms. It was as good as saying, -“We will take this apartment for the summer.” - -Some English sparrows wanted that same room. We always shooed them away, -of course, if we could without frightening the other birds. The wrens -jabbered and hissed at the sparrows, and stayed, pecking them and being -pecked by them. There were four sparrows and only the two wrens; so the -poor little wrens finally gave up and went away. - -But, try as they would, the sparrows could not get inside of the house. -After a while, they, too, went away. Then the wrens returned. It seemed -as if they had been watching for the chance. - -The wrens soon fetched more twigs, some of them several inches long. -They poked them in as far as they would go; then went inside and pulled -them in as well as they could. But some of the longest ones remained -partly outside and so blocked the entrance to any birds except the tiny -wrens. - -Again the English sparrows came and, although they couldn’t even get -their heads in now, still they bothered the wrens. They couldn’t have -that room themselves, and they didn’t want anybody else to have it. - -With such a mean spirit is it any wonder that nobody likes these birds? -I cannot bear to call them sparrows any more, because so many good birds -go by that name, and are therefore in danger of being disliked. Or, I -wish that all the good sparrows could have a different name, and let the -English sparrow alone keep the name he has dishonored. - -The boy has told me that, to keep English sparrows from increasing -around his place, he destroys their eggs wherever he can find them. He -said that one pair of sparrows seemed to blame the bluebirds for it, and -in revenge destroyed the bluebirds’ nest. - -We kept up the shooing and handclapping whenever English sparrows -visited the wren house. After a while the wrens began to understand that -we were trying to help them, and went on with their nesting. They put -tiny sticks and twigs into other rooms of their house also,—and now -there was a perfect concert of wren music all the time. Before night two -more entrances were blocked. Some of the twigs that these wrens brought -had such long thorns on them that they would not go inside at all. But -this did not discourage the plucky wrens. They just dropped them to the -ground and fetched others. - -The next day another pair of wrens came. It seemed as if wrens had a way -of letting their friends know where some nice apartments could be had. I -was so eager to accommodate as many wrens as would come that I had made -some one-room houses for them. One was mounted in a pear tree; another -under the overhang of the garage roof. - - [Illustration: THE SMALL WREN HOUSE IN THE PEAR TREE] - -This last wren pair seemed quite bewildered with so many houses to -choose from, and all of them different. Whenever Mrs. Wren showed -preference for one house, Mr. Wren would go to another one and with his -singing try to coax her there. She was seen oftener about the house -under the garage roof, than the others. Mr. Wren seemed to like the -apartment house best. He was such a jolly little fellow, it is no wonder -he liked to have company. But Mrs. Wren did not care for that at all. A -small cottage was her choice. After making us believe that she liked the -one under the garage roof, she came with a stick about three inches long -and flitted about with it. - -Mr. Wren had already put some nesting material into the apartment house. -But hard as he tried, by singing and by soft chatter, which I suppose -was coaxing, and by frequent visits to the apartment house, he could not -win her over. Her mind was made up, and it must be—what? Well, it was -the small house in the pear tree. When Mr. Wren saw that he couldn’t -have his way, why, of course, that small house became his choice too. - -Each of these pairs of wrens raised some babies. But with all their work -and family cares, and the English sparrows to bother them at times, they -were always a happy company. They could sing just as beautifully when -carrying twigs or worms or bugs as at any other time. Their happy music -made a continuous open-air concert. And their manners, whether at work -or at play, were so entertaining that I could not bear to take my eyes -off them. - -This went on through late April and part of May. One morning the wrens -were all excited. Two of their little ones were on the ground. Our kitty -had been tethered to a hitching weight; but now, fearing one of the -little wrens might fly near her, I locked her up. The parents were -coaxing their little birds over toward the vacant lot where the -thornapple bushes are. These bushes start even with the ground and are -so dense, and have such long, sharp needles, that a cat would get her -eyes scratched out if she tried to go in. I shall always plant -thornapple bushes wherever I may live, especially for the protection of -young birds. And I shall plant several close together, so as to make a -dense thicket. These bushes will provide food for birds, as well as -protection. - -The way these wrens coaxed their little ones to follow was very clever. -They would go near them; then walk away trailing their wings. This made -a soft, rustling, coaxing sound. But it was over an hour before they -succeeded in getting the little ones where they wanted them. They had to -come back to them again and again and keep up the coaxing. I was glad -when they finally had them safe under those thorny branches, where I -could not see them any more for the leaves. - -By this time two more young were ready to leave the house. One was -already on the little porch, the other peered out of the entrance. These -were wiser than the first two. Instead of going to the ground, one flew -to the kitchen roof which was near and almost even with the wren house. -It was a flat roof covered with gravel. Pretty soon the second baby also -flew to the roof. - -It must indeed be a wonderful event in the life of a bird when first he -steps out of the crowded little home and looks around him at the big -outdoors. Then what courage it must take to venture on his wings! He has -fluttered them a few times over the nest, of course, but that is not to -be compared with just bouncing out into the air and trusting to his -wings to bear him up. - -The two stayed on the kitchen roof all the rest of the day. I put a -potted plant out there for them to perch on. In the morning one of the -baby wrens perched for a little while on a window sill, but Father Wren -coaxed him back to the roof. I put several more plants out on the roof -in order that the fledglings might exercise their wings and strengthen -them for the long flight they would have to make to the nearest tree. -After a while they did fly from plant to plant. In this way they spent -the rest of the day and they liked it so well that they stayed another -day, and perhaps longer. - -I was absent from home a few days. On my return the apartment house was -empty of baby birds; so also was the small house in the pear tree. The -wrens were pulling out the feathers and grasses of the first nestings, -and getting ready to nest again. One pair had already begun nesting in -an unoccupied apartment. Can anyone imagine the hustle and bustle of -those busy wrens, cleaning house and nesting at the same time, and the -joy with which they did it? - -The one-room house in the pear tree was so made that the front could be -raised after turning a small screw-eye on the side. This made cleaning -it easy. - -Now, aside from furnishing their rooms all over again, these wrens had -their babies to care for. But they seemed the happier the more work they -had to do. They were just bubbling over with happiness all the time; and -they made everyone about them happy, too. - -I should think everybody would put out wren houses and get these jolly -little fellows to live near them. Wrens are not particular whether they -live on a porch, in a city yard, or on a farm. They are just as happy in -one place as another, as long as they have a safe little home; and they -will rid a place of bugs and flies and other unpleasant things. - -So cheery was that summer with those wrens around me, that I hope always -to have them as my neighbors. - - [Illustration: A BABY WREN ON THE WINDOW SILL] - - [Illustration: BLUEBIRDS ARE GREAT HELPERS IN A GARDEN (_See page 33 - _)] - - - - - VI - THE BOY - - -One day in early April I was in the ravine getting hepaticas. Before I -knew it I was near the boy’s house again. His mother called to me from -her garden. - -“The boy is at home now,” she said; “maybe you would like to see him at -work.” - -I thanked her, and went with her to the little shop. There beside his -work bench stood a boy about twelve or thirteen years old. He was -painting the wren house a dark green. The bluebird house was finished, -ready to put up. - -I told him I had put up my bird houses long ago, and that the bluebirds -had been house hunting for some weeks. He said that there were so many -English sparrows around his place that he feared they would nest in his -houses if he put them out early. But he had just learned of a way to -keep the sparrows from nesting in bluebird houses. He said his manual -training teacher had advised him to mount his houses for wrens and -bluebirds only about eight feet from the ground, since the English -sparrows seldom nest lower than ten feet from the ground, and will not -be likely to take a house that is lower. - -The boy put up the bluebird house while I was there, on a young maple -that afforded plenty of shade. His bluebirds were house hunting too, and -visited the house right away. - -I told him about the tin sheeting to keep cats and squirrels down. He -said he had been using tangle-foot, the sticky stuff that is sometimes -put on trees to keep bugs down. But he said that cats and squirrels -didn’t mind climbing over it, and he was going to try the tin. - -I fear that the boy was not wise in delaying so long to put up his bird -houses. When I saw him again, in mid-April, he said that one pair of -bluebirds had nested in a house that he had intended for chickadees; -that another pair were in an old hollow tree; and that a pair of wrens -were visiting the new bluebird house. - -Two of his other houses were for woodpeckers, and a beautiful new one -for purple martins already had some tenants. - -“It is two years now that the first martin house has been up, and yet I -have never had any martins to stay!” said the boy. “They would come, go -into the house and twitter, and then fly away.” - -He began talking again about his manual training teacher: how she called -one day, and told him that the martin house was mounted too low, and too -near trees; that martins want to be fifty feet away from a tree or -building, and sixteen feet up from the ground; also, that it pleases -martins to have openings near the ceiling of their rooms so they can -have a change of air. - -I remarked that this ventilation would make their rooms more -comfortable. - -“Yes,” said the boy; “and this new martin house is made according to -teacher’s directions.” - -As we stood there, martins were flying about, twittering, singing, -perching on the telephone wires near by and on the roof and the porches -of their house. The pole had hinges so that the house could be brought -down and cleaned, when necessary, or closed. - -One lovely June day found me again at the boy’s home. I remarked the -large number of young robins on the lawn. - -“The young have just left their nests in that tree,” answered the boy, -pointing into a big cherry tree. “Robins have nested in that tree every -year since I can remember.” - -I guessed that perhaps the cherries were the attraction. - -“Well,” he said, “we think birds earn all the cherries they eat; we -never pick those on the top branches at all, but leave them for the -birds.” - -During that visit the boy showed me several bird homes. First he -apologized for doing it. “Every bird home is a secret between mother and -me,” he said; then added, “but I know I can trust you.” - -One of these little homes belonged to bluebirds. The others belonged to -the flicker, the wood thrush, and the killdeer. - -We walked slowly and talked low, as we went from one place to another. -Loud talk and running frighten birds. And to go very near to a bird nest -is harmful because, every time the mother is frightened away, the eggs -or young are liable to get chilled if the weather is cool. If hot, and -the nest is exposed to the sun, the eggs or young are liable to get -overheated. - -The boy told me of a marsh hawk’s nest which a gentleman came to -photograph. He said that this gentleman brought a lad along to hold his -hat over the young to shield them from the sun, during the mother’s -absence. The two were there only about ten minutes. But evidently that -boy told other boys; for soon the nest was being visited at all times of -day. At every visit, the mother flew away, and in a few days all the -young were dead. - -I remarked that photographing nests should be done with the greatest -care; that if any screening foliage was pushed aside, it should be -replaced, and the nest left just as the mother bird had planned it. It -is indeed fortunate that bird photography is so difficult that only few -people attempt it. Exposing a nest to the camera is very apt to result -in disaster unless it is done by one who has the highest interests of -birds at heart. - -The flickers had their home in a stump of a tree. The entrance was so -low I had to stoop in order to look in; but the nest was down deep, out -of sight. Whenever Father or Mother Flicker came with food they called -softly, “Ye quit! ye quit!” Then the babies could be heard making a -hissing sound. Sometimes when the parents were gone longer than usual, a -baby flicker could be seen taking a peep at the outside world. - - [Illustration: BABY FLICKER PEEPS AT THE OUTSIDE WORLD] - -One day during the previous spring while walking along the ravine I had -seen three of these large brown birds, and had learned their name from -hearing them sing, “Flicka flicka flicka.” It is easy to get acquainted -with birds who are named after their song. One of these birds on that -spring day was constantly spreading his wings and his tail before the -others, as if he wanted to show the beautiful yellow feathers -underneath. Because of these yellow feathers the flicker is also called -golden-winged woodpecker. Nearly all birds have a scolding word. When -the flicker wants to scold he says, “Queer,” as plainly as a person can -say it. - -Of course, we never went near enough to any bird’s nest to frighten the -brooding birds, nor did we stay long enough to keep the parents from -feeding their young. We always found a convenient place fifty feet or -more away, and through our field glasses watched the birds without -annoying them. - -I had long known the wood thrush by his yodeling song. It usually came -out of the thickets and tangles in the ravine back of our place, so the -singer could not easily be seen. At sunrise and sunset, the music of the -thrushes, singing and answering one another, was like bells calling to -prayer. From early May until mid-July I always wanted to be out mornings -and evenings to attend the matins and the vespers of the wood thrushes. - -Mrs. Wood Thrush tried hard to hide her nest; it was completely -surrounded by thornbushes. “Wit-a-wit-a-wit,” said her mate as we went -near; then he came out of his hiding place. He had a brown back and a -white and brown speckled front just like Mrs. Wood Thrush, who sat -serene on her nest all this time. She was trusting in something to -protect her fully; whether it was her brave companion, or those bushes -bristling with thorns that surrounded her nest, I do not know. Maybe she -thought we didn’t see her at all. We pretended not to see her. - - [Illustration: MRS. WOOD THRUSH ON HER NEST] - -Always, when I find a nest, I turn away and try to keep the birds from -knowing they have been discovered. I look out of the corners of my eyes, -and go away humming a tune. After a while I return and walk near by, -again singing the same tune. I do this as many times as I can during a -day or two. Before long the birds seem to know that the person who comes -singing that tune has never harmed them. They remain quiet when I am -near, and this affords opportunity to observe them more closely. - -Some bluejays were flitting about. Bluejays are everywhere, and at all -times of the year. The bluejay is that big blue and white bird with -handsome crest. In early spring he sings some pleasing notes, but in -autumn and winter he is just noisy. Now he was very still. I could just -see Mrs. Bluejay’s head between two branches of a poplar tree. She had a -nest there, for there were tell-tale twigs hanging over on both sides. -Mr. Bluejay did not want anybody to find her, nor the nest. This was why -he kept so still. - -The boy had scattered some peanuts on a bald spot in the yard. I asked -why he did this during the summer time. - -“It keeps the chickadees and woodpeckers coming here all summer,” said -he. - -As we sat there a bluejay came for a peanut and went under a tree with -it. There he punched a hole in the ground with his bill and poked in the -nut. Then he went to a currant bush and got a leaf. Returning to the -spot where he had buried the peanut, he patted the leaf neatly over it. - -A brown and white bird about as big as a robin flew overhead singing, -“Killdeer killdeer” as loud and as fast as he could. - - [Illustration: A KILLDEER’S NEST IN A POTATO FIELD] - -“There goes a killdeer,” said the boy. - -So the killdeer is another bird that is named after his song! How easy -it would be to know birds if all were named after their song, like the -chickadees and the killdeers and the flickers, or after their colors, -like the bluebirds, or after their actions, like the woodpeckers! - -The boy’s father had found a killdeer’s nest in a potato field when he -was plowing. We went to see that, too. It was in a patch of ground -overgrown with weeds because the man had kindly plowed around it. Mother -Killdeer sat dutifully on the nest while Father Killdeer guarded the -premises and told us by his various shrieks and somersaults that he -wished we would not go near enough to disturb her. - -On the farm that day I saw the golden-throated meadowlark. He is another -yodeler. His favorite tune is: - - “Le-_o- ^lee-o-_loo” - -His songs ring so clear and flute-like that I can hear him away over at -our place. He is a brown bob-tailed bird. Over a beautiful yellow front -he has a black band, pointing down in the middle, V-shaped. A large -company of these birds were in the meadow, happy as larks; so they are -well named meadowlarks. - -But think of a dear little bird and such a sweet singer as the song -sparrow, bearing the same name as the odious English sparrow! It seems -unjust, and in this the boy agreed with me. We got to talking about the -song sparrow because one was on a fence post near by, singing over and -over this lively ditty: - - “Twee twee twee^/^twe-e^\twe-e\_\_jeje^je^je^jeje_jeje^je jay.” - - [Illustration: THE BLUEBIRDS IN THEIR PRIMITIVE HOME] - -The bluebirds’ home that the boy had mentioned at the beginning of my -visit was in a hole of an apple tree. By standing on tiptoe I could look -in and see four light-blue eggs lying on a nest of grasses that looked -like a cunning little basket. It was a hot day, too hot for Mother -Bluebird to stay in that hollow tree all the time. She was out playing -tag with Mr. Bluebird. Perhaps she thought the hot air would keep her -eggs warm. After she went in again he visited her often with food. -Before going after more he usually perched on a little knob just above -the entrance and sang. Sometimes she came out on the ledge to listen. It -was a winsome sight to see the bluebirds in their primitive home. - -This was the bluebirds’ second nesting on the farm. Their first one had -been destroyed by the English sparrows. The boy said he had tried in -every way to help the bluebirds, and that, whenever he saw any sparrows -near, he gave a sharp whistle—his confidential whistle, he called it—and -that Mrs. Bluebird got so she understood what it meant; that as soon as -she heard it she would come up on the ledge and call, “Dear, dear-dear.” -Immediately Mr. Bluebird would appear and drive the intruders away. - -These bluebirds were also annoyed by a red squirrel who climbed the -trees in the orchard and peered into the nest holes. Mr. Bluebird dashed -for him whenever he saw him, especially if he found him near the home -tree. Sometimes both the bluebirds chased the red squirrel, who would -run off barking like a little dog. - -The boy had seen how I put out strings and cotton and chicken feathers, -for the birds’ nestings, and he had fixed up a “store”—as he called -it—on a tree, where they could “buy without money.” Every little while a -goldfinch came and got some string. Always on coming he sang out, -“Perchikatee,” as if to say, “By your leave.” Downy woodpeckers, -chickadees, and nuthatches were there at this time of the year, although -ordinarily they are seen only in winter and early spring. - - [Illustration: EVERY LITTLE WHILE A GOLDFINCH CAME TO THE “STORE” - TREE AND GOT SOME STRING] - -The boy said it was the ravine, with its trees and thickets and tangles, -that attracted so many birds. He was always praising that ravine. He -thought so much of it that he had asked the neighbors not to throw -rubbish down there, and not to disturb the underbrush, which shelters so -many birds. He had also asked them please to keep their cats indoors at -night, because so many birds had nests and helpless little ones on the -ground, or in low bushes. - -“Mother put me up to that,” he said; and added, “we are trying to keep -that ravine as a sanctuary for birds, where they and their little ones -can be safe.” - -Another thing that attracted birds to that place was a mulberry tree. -Though only two years old, it was bearing fruit and was visited by -robins, orioles, thrashers, and redheaded woodpeckers. - -The boy had so many kinds of birds never seen near our place that I -began to wish I, too, could live on a farm and have so many more of -these charming neighbors. - -A storm came up. Soon the shallow places in a cornfield near by were -turned into puddles. The baby martins that had been lounging on the -porch went inside. The old ones came flying home in a hurry. We went to -the garden house, which the boy had fitted up as a workshop because he -didn’t like to deprive his mother any longer of her little storeroom. -When it stopped raining the sun came out and the clean earth fairly -glistened. A flock of robins came to hunt for worms in the drenched -field. Some bathed in the puddles. It was amusing to watch them chase -one away if he stayed in long. - -As we were enjoying the robins, the boy’s mother called out: “Come here, -you bird people, and see what has happened.” She took us to the living -room and told us to listen at the chimney. A rasping twitter came from -within. - -“It must be those chimney swallows,” guessed the boy. - -He stepped upon a chair and took off the chimney cap. There, scrambling -around in soot, were some black looking birds. - -“One, two, three, four,” he counted, as he reached in and handed them -out on a newspaper. - -Three were young birds, and one was an adult bird with long wings. Their -nest was also there. The heavy rain had loosened it and made it fall. - -The little ones screeched in chorus, and tried constantly to get hold of -something with their claws. The older bird gave no sound at all. She -seemed to be hurt. We called her the mother. - -The lady looked at their little nest. Then she went and fetched a -basket, and, as soon as the birds were removed to it, they began to -clamber up the sides. When they got to the top, where they could hang at -full length, they stopped their screeching. Only now and then they still -gave a rasping sound. Perhaps they were hungry, and scolded because -nobody brought them any food. Some crossed over the rim of the basket -and tried the other side. - -I stayed there the rest of the afternoon. Every ten or fifteen minutes -the little birds gave a call, like, “Gitse gitse.” Thinking that they -must be almost choked with the soot, I tried to give them water, but -they would not open their bills. I forced them open with a manicure -stick, and gave them a drop at a time. They swallowed it when it was -dropped far down in their throats; otherwise they would jerk their heads -and throw it out. - -I also moistened a cracker with some egg yolk, and mixed into it about -fifty flies out of the flytrap; then tried to feed the birds with the -little stick. By prying up their upper mandible I got some flies down -each bird’s throat. The lower mandible was very soft and would not bear -handling. - - [Illustration: THE CHIMNEY SWIFTS’ TEMPORARY HOME] - -I became so attached to these birds, I hated to leave them, but the time -came for me to go home. The boy and his mother seemed distressed at the -prospect of having birds as boarders. There was canning to do, besides -cooking for extra farm hands; and Laddie had to help his father with the -haying,—so his mother said. - -I offered to take the birds and do the best I could with them, if the -lad was willing. He was; so I took the birds and the nest with me in the -little basket, which was their temporary home. - - [Illustration: THE FLICKER IS ALSO CALLED GOLDEN-WINGED WOODPECKER] - - [Illustration: CHIMNEY SWIFTS’ NEST] - - - - - VII - THE CHIMNEY SWIFTS - - -The correct name of these birds whose home life was so rudely broken up -is chimney swift. According to the bird books, they have been known to -fly a thousand miles in a day, and they live in chimneys. Could any name -fit them better? Chimney swifts are sometimes called swallows, probably -because they resemble them somewhat, and twitter like swallows. But they -are not swallows at all. - -I thought if the birds could have their nest near them, it would seem -more like home to them. It was a tiny nest, a bracket made of twigs -which were woven together basket fashion and tightly glued. I have -preserved it as an art treasure. On each side is a flat, gluey -extension. Wetting this extension made it sticky; but it would not stick -to the rough surface of the small basket. I laid it on the smooth -surface inside a peach basket and put weights on it. When it became dry, -the nest was stuck fast. - - [Illustration: ONE OF THESE SWIFT BABIES WAS PUT TO REST IN THE - NEST, BUT HE DID NOT STAY THERE LONG] - -Then I transferred the swifts from the small basket, which had been -their temporary home, to the peach basket. They perched around the nest. -One of these babies was put to rest in the nest, but he did not stay -there long. They all clambered up to the edge and from time to time they -changed places, sometimes crossing over the edge of the basket from one -side to the other. - -It was fortunate that this happened during my vacation, because the care -of a baby bird demands much time. He has to be fed regularly and often. -Having several birds to feed is about enough to take up all one’s time. - -If they only had opened their bills when they were hungry, it would have -been much easier to feed these swifts. Their very short but wide bills -had to be pried open every time and the food poked down their throats. I -tried to feed them every fifteen or twenty minutes. It took so long to -feed each one, that usually, by the time I had finished with number -four, it was necessary to begin feeding number one again. - -The food I gave them was bread soaked in warm milk, with plenty of flies -mixed in. For a change I mixed the bread with a raw yolk. I gave them -warm water occasionally. It seemed to me they needed it after having -come through that mass of soot. - -At the end of the first day the young were as chipper and bright as any -young birds. Instead of screeching they began to twitter, “Gitse gitse.” -The mother was very still. She did not seem to care for her babies at -all, and did not go near to keep them warm. She just hung in the one -position. Several times she tried to fly, but she could only fly a few -feet; then she fell to the floor. - -During the second day the young seemed to be doing well. They preened -themselves, and their blackish breasts were changed to gray. It was a -cool day, and I set the basket where the sun would shine on the birds. -They fluffed their feathers as if they enjoyed the warmth. Once in a -while one tried to fly, but he always fluttered to the ground and had to -be brought back. The mother tried her wings again and again. She got so -she could fly a little farther at every attempt, before she went to the -ground. At about five o’clock she flew far enough to get out of sight. - -All the next day I kept the peach basket with these swifts in it -outdoors, hoping the mother would return and feed them. But she did not -return. - -On the following day these birds began to look feeble. I went to the -telephone and called up a gentleman[1] who is an authority on birds, and -asked him what I should do. He said the main thing was to keep the birds -evenly warm; that more young birds die from chill than from hunger. To -revive them he said I should put a few drops of whiskey in a glass of -water and give them each a few drops; then I should try to get them some -gnats, or a grub from the garden, mince it well, and feed it to them. -Flies, he said, had not much nourishment in them. - -On returning I found that two of the little birds had died. I determined -to try hard to save the remaining one. It was impossible to get whiskey -because I live in a temperance town. I gave the little bird a weak -solution of baking soda because he had a big lump in his craw. Then I -wrapped him in a silken scarf, and warmed him beside the cook stove as I -have seen baby chicks revived when they have been chilled by a sudden -rain. The lump disappeared. He brightened up. I could find no grubs; but -a few grasshoppers, some ant larvæ, and several juicy green cabbage -worms were food enough for the rest of that day. I kept the bird in his -wrappings all day, but fixed it so he could clamber on to the basket. At -night I put him away warm and snug, and seemingly happy. The first sound -I heard the next morning was “Gitse gitse.” - -The little bird was ready for a meal. From an ant hill near by I got -more ant larvæ, something which all young birds like. For the first time -now he swallowed food just as soon as it got inside his bill. Up to this -time he had jerked it out unless it was poked down. But he still refused -to open his bill. - -He did not care for the nest and never would stay on it. So I fixed him -again in the little basket where he would be more snug. I had lined it -with cotton batting and woolen cloth so his breast would be against a -soft, warm surface. I also kept him at an even temperature, and fed him -regularly. The little basket was on my work table. He seemed to enjoy -being near me and being talked to. Sometimes he flew over on my -shoulder. I fed him more cabbage worms and grasshoppers, and also gave -him water occasionally. - -I could not forgive myself to think I hadn’t asked for advice sooner. I -felt sure that, had I done so the first day I took charge of these -birds, and then followed instructions, the two would not have died. - -Again at the close of the day Baby Swift was put away in his warm -wrappings. In the morning I did not hear the usual, “Gitse gitse.” Baby -Swift had gone to the bird heaven. - -It had been a big undertaking to adopt those homeless birds; but I am -glad for several reasons that I did it. - -_First_, I am glad that I helped them in their trouble. - -_Second_, I am glad I relieved the boy and his busy mother of caring for -them. - -_Third_, I am glad because I have since read in the bird books that the -chimney swift is a very useful bird; that he feeds wholly on troublesome -insects. - -_Fourth_, I am glad because it gave me opportunity to get acquainted -with one more bird. I consider that something worth while. - - [Illustration: A ROBIN’S NEST] - - - - - VIII - BIRDS NOT OF A FEATHER - - -One day, on looking up into a tree in the vacant lot, what should I see -there? A mother robin just dropping a worm into her baby’s open beak. - -The nest was right in the crotch where the trunk forks into two main -branches. So many robins’ nests are blown off the branches by the wind, -or washed off by heavy rains, that I was glad to see this nest firmly -saddled on that strong trunk. But a second thought told me that it was -easy for cats and squirrels to get at, so I studied how to make it safe. - -All the tin sheeting had been used up; but I knew where there was some -old stove pipe. A kind neighbor ripped it open. One piece was not wide -enough to go around the tree, so I had to use two. Mrs. Cotton, who had -again become my neighbor, having built a bungalow on one of the vacant -lots, came to help me. She said it wasn’t good for the tree to drive -nails into it, and fetched some wire. Meanwhile, I got the stepladder; -for the sheeting must be high enough so that cats and squirrels cannot -jump from the ground to the trunk above it. We used only two small -nails, to keep the wires from slipping. - -Of course, the robins scolded while we were doing this. They never liked -to have anybody near their tree. - -After a week the young ones were sitting on the edge of the nest. I knew -then that they would soon leave it, and I began to keep a close watch on -them, and on the cats of the neighborhood. - -If all cats belonged to people, and had to be kept on their own -premises, little birds would be much safer. As it is, cats may roam -wherever they please. They can crouch in tall grasses, flower beds, -shrubs, and other places, ready to pounce on any bird that comes near -enough. Homeless cats who have to hunt their living are the greatest -menace to birds, especially to young birds who are not yet wise to the -dangers that surround them. Now who is to blame? Surely not the cats. -Instead of continually berating the cats, let the friends of birds -secure laws to license cats, to compel people to keep their cats on -their own premises, to punish people for putting cats astray, and to put -homeless cats out of their misery. - -One June day, while walking along the ravine, I saw three robins on the -ground. I went to the tree to see if the young had all left the nest, -and found that one was still there. He looked down, as if he would like -to go to join his brothers; but he seemed to be afraid to leave the safe -little home. The parents brought food to him and also to those on the -ground. Whenever the parents went to the one on the nest, they urged him -to come over to some of the near branches; but he stayed on the nest as -if glued to it. Finally, one of the parents got behind him and just -politely pushed him off. He spread his wings to fly, but fluttered to -the ground. Instead of continuing my walk that morning I stayed with the -robins. About a hundred feet away I could see them well with my field -glasses. My neighbor, Mrs. Cotton, was just as much interested in these -birds as I was. They could not fly well yet. Between us we saw to it -that no harm befell them that day. - -Towards evening the robins also sought the protection of those bristly -thornapple bushes. One by one they coaxed the young in that direction. - -During that night a great storm came up of lightning and thunder and -rain. I was sorry for the young robins, but had no doubt that their -parents shielded them. I have seen a mother bird sit faithfully on the -nest when the rain was pelting her mercilessly. Mother love knows no -discomforts. - -I think all birds enjoy a good shower; they always sing joyously as soon -as it clears again, and sometimes while it is still raining. Some also -enjoy a shower bath. Sometimes they finish it with a ducking in the -basin. Those that do not care for the shower usually know where to find -a comfortable place during a heavy downpour. On such occasions, I have -seen them take refuge in trees, close to the trunk where it is steady -and where the foliage is dense over them. And I have seen them go for -shelter under rail fences, such as there are in the country, where the -rails are broad enough to protect a little bird. I have also seen birds -come out from under a corn-crib after a rain, so I presume they had gone -under it for shelter. - -After the robins had left their nest I took the sheeting off the tree. -It is said that the bark of a tree is its lungs through which it -breathes. I want all the trees around me to breathe deeply of the -precious air, so I try always to save the bark. It is much easier to -take off the wires than it is to take nails out of a tree. Already some -insects had made nests and cocoons under this sheeting. - -My way of getting acquainted with birds was by keeping a notebook. In it -I wrote everything I saw any bird do: what he ate, how he sang, what he -looked like, where he was generally seen, etc. I always watched a bird -as long as it stayed in sight. When it left I observed its flight and -its shape. Then I looked at the colored pictures in my bird books, to -see if I could find a bird similar to mine. If I did find him, then I -read all about him to see whether that bird ate the kind of food, and -acted, and flew, and sang, in the way my strange bird did. If he did, -then I knew I had made the acquaintance of a new bird. - -For instance, I had written about one bird: - -“Rather plump, head pointed, bill long. Head and back olive. Front -yellow. Wings dark with white bars. Tail brown with dark marks. Is on -the fence getting strings. Also visits the basin. Never sings. Likes -bread crumbs. Nearly as large as robin.” - -Sometimes there came with this bird a beautiful black and orange bird. -In a little pocket guide I found both these birds pictured as mates. -They were the Baltimore orioles. She was the bird I had described in my -notebook. While she was getting strings, her mate was usually up in a -tree somewhere near, singing: - - “Hee_\ho/hee, hee_\ho ho/hee.” - -It was no wonder that the orioles needed so many strings. They made a -baglike nest on the tip end of a branch in Mrs. Cotton’s elm. The wind -used to swing that nest like a hammock. I often thought how nice it must -be for those baby orioles to be rocked by the wind and to have such a -fine musician for their father. - -Mrs. Cotton was keeping her cat housed during those days. Moreover, she -threw bread out on her lawn every day for any birds that might want it. -The orioles were among the birds that went there; they preferred graham -or entire wheat bread to white bread. - -Other birds that came to my yard were the brown thrasher, the goldfinch, -and the redheaded woodpecker. They had their nests along the ravine. - -The redheaded woodpeckers’ home was in a hole of an old tree near the -ravine. Their call was a guttural “Chr-r-r,” which was pleasant to hear. -Near the nest tree was a big stone which they used as a convenient -perch. The woodpecker babies did not have the showy red head and neck of -the parents; theirs were of a rusty color, and the white on their wings -was barred with black. During the summer, Father Woodpecker often -brought the babies to the food station. They could help themselves -pretty well to suet; but the peanuts were a puzzle to them. They just -pecked into the shell and tried to eat that. Usually, before the babies -arrived, the father came and perched on some high point and looked all -around. If all was to his liking, he sounded his rattling tattoo. The -babies always came so promptly that it was evident he had hidden them -somewhere near, probably with orders to await his signal before -venturing farther. - - [Illustration: NEAR THE NEST TREE WAS A BIG STONE WHICH THE - REDHEADED WOODPECKER USED AS A PERCH] - -I think the brown thrasher must have had a large family; he used to tear -off pieces of bread and carry them away from the bird table. Once he -carried off a piece of cheese that kept him trailing near the ground, it -was so heavy. A blackbird followed and tried to take it, but the -thrasher got away from him. - -A queer thing about the brown thrasher is his song. It is made up of -real words and sentences, and he sings everything twice or more times. -If you should ever hear a big brown bird, with a long reddish tail and -speckled breast, sing, “Beverly Beverly,” “Peter Peter,” “Tell it to me! -Tell it to me!” “Come here! Come here!” and such things, then you have -heard the brown thrasher. If you will look high enough you can almost -surely see him too, in the top of a high tree. He loves to be seen as -well as heard. - -Mrs. Brown Thrasher looked just like her mate. She had hidden her nest -so well that I did not find it until it was empty. It was in a dense -thicket. I knew it was hers because she was still near. “Io-it! io-it!” -she scolded, until I went away. One little baby thrasher was on a branch -of the thicket. The mother was guarding him. - -The goldfinches were very late with their housekeeping. In July they -were still gathering strings and cotton for their nesting. They are just -as polite and gentle as the chickadees. Their name fits so well that -anybody who sees these yellow birds, just like canaries with black wings -and tail, ought to know them at once. Their song usually starts with -“Sweet sweet sweet,” and the rest is a regular canary song. They are -sometimes called wild canaries. - - [Illustration: EACH LITTLE GOLDFINCH CALLED AS LOUD AS HE COULD] - -The young goldfinches loved to sit on the edge of their nest as soon as -they were old enough. As they sat there they chattered to each other, -“Ze bebe, ze bebe,” and fluttered their wings a great deal. When I found -their nest I was surprised that I hadn’t seen it before; it was low on a -buckeye. - -When the young goldfinches left their nest it seemed as if they wanted -to get acquainted with people. They came down on the lowest branches, -and quite near the house. One alighted on the clothesline. Whenever -Father or Mother came with food there was the greatest fluttering of -wings. Each one called, “Ze bebe ze bebe,” as loud as he could, and -opened wide his bill to catch what the parents tossed or squirted out to -him. It was no living, squirming thing, but a pulpy mass. - -The young were yellow in front, olive on the back, and they had black -wings with brown and white bars. The black tail was edged with white. - -Goldfinches like sunflower seeds. But the main reason why they are so -useful and so well liked is that they eat large quantities of thistle -seeds and dandelion seeds. - -When cold weather came the parent goldfinches were no longer so -beautifully yellow, for they had put on their gray autumn coats. - - [Illustration: A YOUNG GOLDFINCH ALIGHTED ON THE CLOTHESLINE] - - [Illustration: THIS MARTIN SCOUT BROUGHT A LADY WITH HIM] - - - - - IX - THE MARTINS’ AIRCASTLE - - -The purple martins like a house with many rooms, so they can live -together in a large company. Since the martins belong to the swallow -family, to call them purple swallows would, it seems to me, be more -informing. - -My friend who had sent me the wren apartment house was so pleased with -its success that he sent me also a martin house. It is four stories high -and has twenty-six rooms. Around each story are porches, some of them -several inches wide. - -It pleases birds to have their houses look, before they occupy them, as -if they had been out in all sorts of weather. So, for several weeks -before this martin house was set up, it lay out in the yard to be rained -and snowed on. - -One cold March day a purple bird came in at my window. He perched on -picture frames, twittered a little, and went out again. According to the -bird books, my little visitor was a purple martin. Maybe he had seen the -martin house on the lawn, and came to ask me to put it up. Anyway, the -next day it was mounted in the farthest corner of the garden. For, -according to the directions that came with the house, martins want their -houses to be fifty feet away from any building or tree, and on a pole at -least sixteen feet high. - -In early April another martin came; or maybe it was the same one, -returning to see whether the house had been put up. Martins always send -one of their number ahead to look up a house for them. He is called a -scout. This martin scout perched on the wires nearby, and tried -repeatedly to alight on one of the porches of the martin house. But some -English sparrows were there; they also wanted that house. Every time the -scout went near, these sparrows flew at him and kept him from getting a -foothold on the house. Sometimes he managed to perch on the roof and -there wait for a chance to get inside. But the sparrows were too many -for him. Now and then he gave a sad note, as if he were discouraged and -calling for help. Then again it seemed as if something had encouraged -him, and he sang out clearly something like this: - - “Whew whew whew _tr-r-r-r _cho cho cho cho.” - -After holding out against the sparrows for three days, he went away. -About a week later I heard a sweet and happy twitter. Several martins -were flying around the house. I had named it The Martins’ Aircastle. By -this time the English sparrows had begun nesting in some of the rooms. - -The martins perched on the wires in front of the house and made a saucy -chatter, calling the sparrows all sorts of names, I suppose. The -sparrows jabbered back at them. In about an hour the martins left. - -Early the next morning another flock of martins came. Some perched on -the wires, some on the roof, and some on the porches of the martin -house. Others flew around in big circles. All were twittering and -calling in their happiest manner. - - [Illustration: THE MARTINS’ AIRCASTLE] - -I had driven the sparrows away the night before, and this is how I did -it: I put a few big nails into a tin can, then closed the can and tied -it to a long stick. With this stick I banged the can against the martin -house pole again and again. It frightened the sleeping sparrows. By the -moonlight I could see six come out and fly away; but I think there were -more. - -Two pairs of sparrows came back in the morning. They had made their -nests side by side in the third story. Long grasses were hanging out -from the entrances. Perhaps the martins were sorry for them; anyway, it -looked as if they were willing to play fair. They did not chase them off -any more; and the sparrows, being now so few, no longer molested the -martins. - -The martins now began to clean house. There were wads of chicken -feathers and some broken eggs among the rubbish which they threw out. -This was soon replaced by straws and sticks which they brought for their -own nesting. I could only count twelve pairs of martins, so that there -were plenty of rooms for them and the sparrows too. I suppose one reason -why the sparrows were unwelcome is because they are such untidy -housekeepers as to render close neighboring with them insanitary. - -The more I see of martins, the better I like them. They are always -cheerful, always busy. Their shiny, purple plumage, broad shoulders, and -tapering body give them a distinguished air. These purple birds are the -father martins. The mother martins’ back feathers, when exposed to the -sunlight, have all the shades of violet. In front they are -cream-colored, and finely speckled. - -These violet-colored ones stayed around home more than the others; this -is why I took them to be the mothers. The father martins flew around and -brought in the provisions, which they caught on the wing. On returning a -martin would sometimes sit on the porch and sing into the room to his -mate; or she would come out to him, and the two would coo to each other -in the most affectionate manner. - -The martins were also friendly with all their bird neighbors. But they -were so high up that their housekeeping was for the most part a secret -which they wanted to keep to themselves. It was hard to tell what they -had to eat, except when one caught a dragonfly or a grasshopper. When -one got a big catch like that, he usually held it squirming in his bill -a while as if he was proud of it and wanted to show it off. Or maybe he -tried in this way to prolong the enjoyment of it. When it began to -disappear in his bill the body always went first and the wings last. - -Martins are not strong on their feet. Even when walking around on the -porches of their house they just waddled, like ducks. But at flying they -are masters. They can soar high, almost out of sight, then shoot -straight down and skim along close to the ground. - -Sometimes the martins visited the basin to get a drink or to bathe. One -of their favorite pastimes was to roll in the sand in our garden. When -around home they loved to perch on the wires or lounge on the porches. -They also visited a bald tree not far off, and there preened themselves. -I never saw them visit trees that had foliage on them. - -Some more English sparrows tried from time to time to come back. It -seemed as if they watched for the martins to go away. Then they would -come and peer into the rooms, and even go in. The martins, however, -always left one of their number on guard, for usually the intruders were -soon chased away. - -Once a martin caught an English sparrow in his room. He went in, but -kept one wing outside, and that wing flapped and fluttered just like a -flag in a high wind. No doubt the sparrow got a good beating with the -other wing. Sounds of “Kr-r-r! kr-r-r!” came from the room. “Kr-r-r!” is -the scolding word of the martins. It sounds as if someone, walking -beside a picket fence, were scraping it with a stick. I have often heard -the martins say it to the sparrows, but never have I heard them use it -among themselves. They are the most contented birds, always polite and -kind to one another. For good behavior I have put them on the honor roll -with the chickadees and the goldfinches. - -The martins are also wonderful singers and whistlers. They sing all day -long, and often after dark. Their song is made up of three parts: a -sibilant or smacking twitter, a trill, and a whistle. To me it sounds -something like this: - - “Hee_\chut-chut-chut/^tr-r-r-r\_ho/^hee\ho-ho-ho.” - -They keep this up in a sort of conversational fashion, and as they do so -are continually changing places on the housetop, the porches, or the -wires. - -In June the baby martins began to lounge on the porches and to sun -themselves on the wires. After a while there were more babies. The -porches were covered with them. My! how busy those parents were! As -babies increased in numbers, evidently the parents felt that the older -ones ought to become self-supporting; but they preferred to spend their -days preening and twittering and being waited on. The parents pecked and -scolded them, and finally pushed them off their perches to make them go -and hunt food for themselves. - -One day after the second batch of babies had appeared outside, two hawks -came and perched on the telephone wires near the martin home. My -attention was attracted to them by the guttural calls or scoldings of -the martins. As they called, they flew swiftly to and from the house, -and around in big circles. Soon the wires were lined with martins that -had come from other colonies, and the air was rent with their guttural -shriekings. Evidently they felt that these big birds were a great menace -to their young. To the credit of the English sparrows it must be said -that they also flew around with the martins, and tried to help them call -attention to the danger. The hawks stayed about fifteen minutes, looking -constantly in all directions; for they were completely surrounded by the -vigilant and frantic martins all that time. Then they flew into a bald -tree near by, and after looking on from there a while they flew away. -They returned a few times after that, but never again stayed long enough -to cause such a commotion. - -After the young were all able to fly, the whole company was usually away -most of the day. Early in the morning when they were getting ready to -go, and at sunset time when they returned, there was always a great -demonstration, with trilling, and twittering, and whistling, about the -house and on the wires. The home-coming of the martins was a daily event -to which not only we, but our neighbors also, looked forward. - -Then, as night set in, there was a steady chorus of cooing as if each -martin mother were singing a lullaby to her numerous babies. We used to -wonder how they all existed in those rooms, six inches square by six -inches high. For no matter how hot the night, they all went inside -before midnight. - -One evening my former neighbor, Mrs. Daily, was present when the martins -returned. She also had put up a martin house, but so far it had not been -occupied. - - [Illustration: _Photo by Joseph H. Dodson_ - THE HOME-COMING OF THE MARTINS] - -“Your house has such wide porches, and mine hasn’t any,” she remarked, -as she watched the returning birds sit on the porches and coo to each -other. “And,” she added, “I have been told that my house is too near the -garage.” - -It is true that martins are not easily attracted; but when once they -have accepted a house they will be steady summer tenants for years. When -I think what a pleasure it is to have a flock of these lovely birds, -year after year, from April to September, I wonder that any good-sized -yard is without a martin house. Martins are content to live anywhere, in -town or country. All they want is the right kind of a house with plenty -of room around it, and they like some wires near by for perches. - -It seems to me that a martin house, perched high in broad sunlight, -needs ventilation. But this must be provided without causing drafts. It -can be provided by making a half-inch horizontal slit on the inner walls -just below the ceiling, something like the ventilation in a steamer -cabin. Martins will not tolerate drafts. Then if the two topmost rooms -in the martin house are made to connect by means of a hole two and a -half inches in diameter, next to the ceiling, this will greatly assist -the visiting scout. When English sparrows see the scout enter the house, -they will lie in wait where he entered, expecting to molest him when he -comes out. But if he can leave at another exit and get his colony while -the sparrows still wait for him, they will have to surrender when he -returns. It is a question of numbers. This kind of house, even though it -have only six or eight rooms, will attract martins, and promise a good -beginning in martin lore. - -My neighbor, Mrs. Cotton, has now a martin house also. It has ten rooms, -ventilated as described above and with the two upper rooms connecting. -There being no telephone wires near enough, a wire running over the -house on four uprights serves the same purpose. - -The first martin that was seen to visit this house brought a lady martin -with him. Maybe he had been there before, alone, without being noticed. -The pair inspected the rooms, then perched on the wire overhead and -preened. Every little while Mr. Martin twittered: - - ^“Chow chow chow ^choochoo_choo_ho/_//^/heeho_ho_ho” - -and - - ^“Yo ^yo yo _yo _yo.” - -This pair took possession of the upper east room. The next day four more -martins came. One pair took a lower east room, the other took the south -room. It looked as though the wire on top and the ventilation pleased -them. I was overjoyed that this house, which I had designed, proved -satisfactory to these notional birds. - -The dimensions of the rooms in this house are six inches square by seven -inches high. The diameter of the entrances is two and a half inches; the -width of porch five inches. The pole extends through the center of the -house and is screwed to the roof. The rest of this house is held in -place by means of a bolt underneath, which can be taken out and the -house—without its roof—let down to be cleaned.[2] - -Now listen to the good that martins do: A martin will eat mosquitoes by -the thousand every day, besides many insects that injure fruit trees and -spoil the fruit. To protect their young, martins will drive away hawks -and other big birds that come near. In this way they also protect any -poultry yard near by. On moonlight nights they hunt the moths and -millers until midnight. - -In late August the martins began to assemble in ever increasing numbers, -getting ready for the journey to their winter home, which is said to be -in Central and South America. - -During one of the days while those gatherings were going on, the boy was -here. The martins had, by this time, become so confiding that we could -go clear up to the pole on which their house was mounted,—and they would -stay on the wires and look down at us! I told the boy how I had driven -the sparrows away from the martin house, and showed him the stick with -the can tied to it. He tried it on the nearest telephone pole, and -instantly the martins flew from the wires. It looked like a great -gathering in midair. - -The father martins were much darker at this time than in the Spring,—in -fact, almost black. Mother’s pretty violet hues had faded to gray. Baby -Martin was brownish-gray on the back, and light in front. - -One day the whole colony departed, a jolly company, leaving us sad -indeed, but hopeful that they would return with the Spring flowers. - - [Illustration: _Photo by Joseph H. Dodson_ - A GREAT GATHERING IN MID-AIR] - - [Illustration: A BATH FOR BIRDS AND A LUNCH BESIDE IT] - - - - - X - MORE ABOUT THE BOY - - -I am sure that the farm at the end of our street is like home to the -birds of the neighborhood, and that that good boy is big brother to them -all. He always has a bath for the birds set out on a table, and a lunch -beside it. - -“You would be surprised to see how well the birds like oatmeal mush and -other cereals,” said he, the last time I was there. “Just watch that -song sparrow!” - -The little brown bird was feeding on a shredded wheat biscuit. She -stayed long enough to eat a hearty meal; then took away as much as she -could carry in her bill. While I sat there she returned several times -for more. - -We were out in the boy’s workshop. He had just finished making what he -called a food house. It was a tray roofed over, “to keep out the rain -and snow,” he said. - -I remarked that it was early (it was in July) to talk about snow. - -“Oh,” said he, “this is one of my vacation jobs. After school begins I -won’t have time for these things. I’ll be a freshman in High, you know.” - -The tray was about a foot long and not quite so wide. On each side there -was a wire pocket to hold suet. Four neat, round sticks supported the -roof, which he said was made out of the sides of a soap box. - -I asked where he got those fine round sticks and that pretty tray. He -said the sticks were scraps from his uncle’s cabinet shop, and that he -got the tray from the grocer. The name “Neufchâtel” was printed on the -sides of the tray in big letters. - -I said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if all the Neufchâtel cheese boxes were -made into food trays for birds?” - -“Yes,” he answered, “I know that our grocer would rather give his boxes -away for some useful purpose than to burn them.” - -I admired the little food house so much that the boy gave me some sticks -so that I could make one, too. - -Then he told me of a pair of cedar waxwings that had nested in the -orchard, and a pair of crested flycatchers in a woodpecker’s house. I -was very curious to see the waxwings, so we went to them first. The nest -was about ten feet up in an apple tree. With our field glasses we could -see it quite plainly from under the nearest tree. Mrs. Waxwing was -sitting up there; we could just see her head and her tail. Mr. Waxwing -visited her every few minutes with some food. They were the quietest -birds I have ever seen. What they did say or sing was in very soft -tones, as if they were telling each other secrets. I hummed parts of the -little song occasionally. When I explained to the boy why I did so, he -smiled, and looked as if he didn’t quite believe me. - -We went from the waxwings to the flycatchers. They lived in what the boy -called a Berlepsch house. That means it was designed by a man named -Berlepsch who was a great friend of birds. The boy said his uncle in New -York had sent him the house as a birthday present. What could be a nicer -gift for a boy than a bird house? It would make him want to get birds in -it, of course. And I can think of nothing that would make a boy happier -than to have bird neighbors. - - [Illustration: THE CRESTED FLYCATCHER AND A BERLEPSCH HOUSE] - -The Berlepsch house was made so one could raise the top, lid-fashion, -and clean it when necessary. It was mounted about twelve feet high on a -brook willow that stood aslant in the ravine; and it had been intended -for woodpeckers. The crested flycatchers are brown birds with gray upper -breast and yellow below. Their headfeathers are always ruffed, which -gives the appearance of a crest. - -The flycatchers were flying back and forth continually with all sorts of -prey. The brown bugs called “Canadian soldiers” were numerous that day -and were easy to catch. These parent birds evidently had a large family, -judging from the amount of food they delivered. - -Mr. Flycatcher had a loud, explosive whistle. It sounded as if he were -saying: - - “Wha-^a-^at?” - -The young could be heard giving the same whistle, but much more softly, -and somewhat long drawn out: - - _“Wha-a-^a-^at?” - -After our visit with the flycatchers we returned to the waxwings. -Waxwings are brown and about the size of bluebirds. On the back of the -head they have a tuft. A black line extends across the bill, and around -the side of the head. The front is yellowish-gray and the tail edged -with yellow. The name, waxwing, is due to a shiny red patch on their -wings. The fact that these waxwings are very fond of cedar berries must -be what has given them also the name of cedar bird. The nest was made of -twigs, strings, and various kinds of fiber. The boy said that a few -weeks ago he had cut his dog’s hair and left it lying on the lawn: that -these waxwings then came and carried every bit of it to their nest. - -While near the birds I hummed the bird song again, to let them know that -the same persons were there that had visited them before. The mother -bird was looking straight at us and sitting perfectly still all the -while. The boy said he believed the song did help to keep her quiet. - -On a cornice of the front porch a phœbe had made two nests, one last -year and one this. Both nests were now empty. I said I hoped that a -phœbe would come to live on our porch next year. - -“You can have this one,” answered the boy; and added, “I have to wash -off the porch every day while Phœbe is nesting: she scatters so much -mud.” - - [Illustration: KITTY WATCHING FOR MICE] - -As for me, I would gladly clean off our porch several times a day if a -phœbe would nest here and sing as sweetly, “Phœbe, phœbe,” as I heard -that one sing. Sometimes I noticed a slight trill in the second syllable -of her song, like “Phœbery.” She sang “Phœbe” with the inflection -generally downward; but when she trilled it, “Phœbery,” the inflection -was always upwards: - - “Phœ-^be-^ry.” - - ^“Pee-e- _a- _wee- _e- e- ^e- ^ ee” - -came up from the ravine, clear as a strain from a flute. On my way home -I saw the pewee on a fence picket. Every little while he flew after an -insect, then back to a picket. As I walked slowly along, he flew from -picket to picket ahead of me, until I came to where the houses on the -street begin again. Then he flew back. I think that pewee and phœbe must -be some relation, they look so nearly alike. And both sing their own -names. - -Another bird who sings his name is Bob White, the quail. “Bob _White_!” -came ringing across the meadow every little while. The boy could whistle -it exactly the same as the bird, and they answered each other back and -forth. Bob White was on a fence post,—a large brown bird with a stubby -tail. - -On Thanksgiving Day I was up at the farm again, and I saw a shelter -which the boy had made for the winter comfort of Bob White, and other -birds who wished to share it. It was tent-like, made out of cornstalks, -the inside filled with pea vines, bean vines, morning-glory vines, and -several sheaves of oats. Kitty was watching beside the shelter,—for -mice, the boy explained! - -The new food house was being visited by bluejays, who nibbled at the -suet. A smaller feedery on a tree had corn in a tray and suet in a wire -pocket. This feedery was much liked by downies, and small gray birds -with white on lower front and tail—juncos. Juncos came in flocks of a -dozen or more, and twittered, “Tut, tut, tut,” to each other and to us, -in sociable fashion. They preferred to pick up the scatterings of -chickfeed on the ground, rather than perch on the tray. Both of these -food stations were protected with tin sheeting to keep the squirrel from -eating the birds’ food. This visit at the boy’s home made me wish more -than ever that some day I, too, might live on a farm. - - [Illustration: THE NEW FOOD HOUSE WAS VISITED BY BLUEJAYS] - -On that Thanksgiving Day I had quite a surprise. Some dogs came barking -from the ravine. Before them ran a rabbit just as fast as he could. They -were the dogs that had so often chased Bunny, and this rabbit looked so -much like Bunny, that I felt sure it was he. - -“There’s my rabbit,” said the boy, as he went to chase the dogs away. I -was glad to know that Bunny had such a nice home, and that the boy was a -big brother to him also. - - [Illustration: A FEEDERY MUCH LIKED BY DOWNY] - - [Illustration: A TREE TRIMMED WITH PEANUTS FOR THE BIRDS] - - - - - XI - THE CARDINALS - - -Having often seen cardinals feed in poultry yards with chickens, I again -started to scatter chickfeed, hoping to attract those beautiful birds to -my house. _Chickfeed_ is finer than _chickenfeed_, and I believe the -birds like it better. - -Every winter I trimmed up an old tree with peanuts for the birds’ -Christmas, and always after a snowstorm I tramped the snow down; then -scattered the feed on it, with buckwheat and sunflower seeds added. - -At first only nuthatches, chickadees, and juncos came to my lunches on -the snow. One stormy day a cardinal ventured into our front yard; but he -did not go near the chickfeed. Several juncos were there, and maybe he -wanted to be generous and leave it all to the smaller birds. - -He kept coming nearer to the house. At last he flew pell-mell into our -porch. It seemed as if the wind had blown him in. On a little shelf -behind the windshield he alighted and stayed. - -After a while another bird flew to the little shelf. I hadn’t noticed -this bird before, my attention being taken up with the cardinal. This -second bird was reddish green. In my little bird guide I had seen -pictures of the two cardinals, so I knew that she was the red one’s -mate. - -The cardinal pecked at her when she went to his side, and the meek -little bird just clung to the shelf. The next day I made a shelf for her -just below his. - -At dusk the cardinals returned, silently, even stealthily, as though -they thought it unwise to publish their presence. Again he was a little -ahead of her, and he flew to the new shelf. She alighted on the edge of -the upper one. After a while she tripped a little farther in, to a more -comfortable place. When she was settled, he went to her shelf and -snuggled down beside her. Maybe he was sorry that he had acted so -selfishly the day before. I never saw him peck at her again. - -Every stormy day that winter the cardinals came to our porch at evening. -They became so confiding after a week or so that he usually announced -their arrival with a few low hissing notes, something like “Tset, tset, -tset!” Sometimes he would perch on the upper shelf, sometimes on the -lower. Mrs. Cardinal was a peace-loving bird. She always came last, and -took the empty shelf. Usually he would change so as to sit beside her. -They were always gone in the morning, no matter how early I came out; -and when they came in the evening it was usually dusk. So I never got a -picture of my cardinals on the shelves. - -Mr. Cardinal finally got so he sometimes came to the lunch on the snow; -but his favorite feedery was a tray in my neighbor’s yard, which I kept -supplied with shelled peanuts and shelled corn. The English sparrows -could not manage these large kernels, so the cardinals had this feedery -to themselves. This may be the reason why they preferred it to the one -on the ground. - -But the cardinals must have procured much of their food elsewhere, for -they came only about once in three or four hours to get a dainty at the -tray. Strange to say they never came together. Always he came first and -ate a while, then sometimes she would come, too. It seemed as if she let -him come first, then, seeing that he stayed, she took it for granted -that all was well. - - [Illustration: THE CARDINAL’S FAVORITE FEEDERY] - -In March the cardinals stopped sleeping on the porch. About that time I -began to hear almost daily a new song. It sounded like, - - ^“D e _a _r gilly gilly gilly gilly!” - -Immediately after it there would be a loose twitter: -“Chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk,”—so soft and low, it seemed it must be very near. -Usually it brought another song from the cardinal, and presently he -would appear with a morsel for Mrs. Cardinal, who had a favorite perch -in our little pear tree. I soon learned that the twitter was her -response to his call. The winsome sight of seeing him feed her repaid me -for all the money I spent for peanuts at thirteen cents the pound. - -The pair began now to frequent the ravine more than usual. On its edge -lay a log from which the outer bark had been removed. Here the cardinals -were often to be seen, peeling and tearing off strips of wood-fiber, -which they bore away in long flowing streamers. - -One morning Mrs. Cotton came in. “Here is news for you,” she said. “The -red bird and a greenish bird are making a nest in my syringa bush.” - -The birds went on with their nesting for several days. Then Mrs. Cotton -came over again, looking sad. The birds were carrying away all their -nesting material, she said. They had probably seen the cat, had become -alarmed for the safety of their home, and so changed its location. - -The cardinal had several songs. One was: - - “Whit whit ^d ^e a _r ^d ^e a _r ^whoit whoit whoit” - -Another was just plain: - - _“W _h o ^i ^t _w _h o ^i ^t” - -sung from three to ten times in succession. Sometimes, when Mrs. -Cardinal did not respond promptly, he “chuk”-ed, himself, in imitation -of her notes. - -In late August I found the cardinals’ deserted nest in an evergreen on -the ravine’s edge. It was made almost entirely of this stringy -wood-fiber, lined with fine rootlets, and interwoven with many leaves. - -I never saw but two baby cardinals of this brood. They were brownish -birds, and they had the red bill of the parents. - -After August I saw nothing more of their mother. I have suspected that a -boy down the street was to blame; his favorite plaything was an air-gun, -and he had been caught shooting a brown thrasher shortly before. It -seems to me the laws protecting song-birds ought to be taught in every -school, and that children should be obliged to know that shooting -song-birds or their young, or spoiling or stealing their eggs or nest, -is a crime punishable by fine or imprisonment, or both. - -Father Cardinal was seen tending the young faithfully until October. -Then he suddenly turned on them. Whenever they followed him after that -he drove them from him. The young found peanuts which I had chopped and -scattered on the ground for them. But whenever Father found the young -birds eating these nuts, he chased them away. Once a baby cardinal found -a whole peanut. He bravely ventured to eat it, and in the attempt got -the shell partly open. He was just picking a nut out, when his brother -tried to snatch it from him. A struggle followed, during which the shell -broke in two, and each contestant got a kernel. In November the young -cardinals disappeared. - -Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed -unnatural, not to say cruel. Can it be that he tried thus to compel his -young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties -furnished? Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and -useful? Only on this theory can I account for his conduct. - -Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer. Only a few times -during that mild winter did he come to sleep on our porch, and on those -occasions he came alone. Then a lady cardinal appeared, and she followed -him persistently. But he wholly ignored her. Finally she began to carry -food to him and to feed him. Whether this be a last resort of wooing in -birddom, or not, I do not know. Anyhow, Mr. Cardinal relented. The next -thing, he was seen to feed her whom he had treated so coolly. This was a -pretty sure sign that the two had come to an understanding. Again the -old log by the ravine was being visited for nesting material. Again all -his songs rang out, and he added a new one. It seemed as if he were -singing over and over: - - “Come ^here come ^here Come ^here here here” - - [Illustration: ALWAYS MR. CARDINAL CAME FIRST AND ATE A WHILE; THEN - SHE WOULD FOLLOW] - - [Illustration: SONG SPARROW] - - - - - XII - MY BIRD FAMILY - - -A great big family—that’s what my bird neighbors are to me. This large -family is made up of smaller families. Let me set them all down in a -row: There are the bluebirds, meadowlarks, killdeers, song sparrows, -robins, purple martins, goldfinches, wrens, orioles, thrashers, -thrushes, waxwings, flycatchers, pewee, phœbe, and the redheaded -woodpecker. Oh, there is one more. I would by no means slight the humble -chimney swift. When I hear that “Gitse gitse” twitter, then I know that -they, too, have come. From early March when the first bluebird arrives, -until late May when pewee comes, I am like a mother who waits at -evening, unsatisfied until all her children are in for the night. When I -hear the call of the latest comer, the sweet-voiced pewee, then I know -that my absent ones have all returned. - -Add to these the Bob Whites, the cardinals, bluejays, and flickers, who -stay the year round, and the chickadees, nuthatches, downy and hairy -woodpeckers, and juncos, who come in autumn to spend the winter, and you -have my bird family, a wonderful family, of musicians, of workmen, of -homemakers—fathers and mothers and children. - -To me the ways of birds are more entertaining than the best play I have -ever attended. They enact real life, not make-believes. Then, too, what -music can be compared to the sunrise and sunset concerts of birds in -springtime and in early summer? To know each singer by name adds much to -the enjoyment. - -The ways of birds are also wonderful, past finding out. Who can explain -how they make their nests so pretty, when the only tools they have are -beak and feet? Then, how gingerly they hide their nests, some with -dainty curtains of leaves, others by blending colors! To find a bird’s -nest always fills me with reverence. It is a little home, a sacred place -to its owners. It shall be sacred to me. The mother-wit and -father-wisdom that birds show in rearing their young and in protecting -them from harm makes me believe that they do think and plan and reason -out things much as we human beings do. The most wonderful thing about -birds is the long journey that so many of them make every year, -generally with several babies only a few months old in the family. - -It has been proved that birds will return year after year to the same -orchard, garden, yard, or porch. I know my birds by their actions. I do -not need to tie bands on their legs to know them. When they return they -visit all their familiar haunts, not cautiously as a stranger would, but -boldly, and with the joyousness of those who have returned home after a -long absence. They call to me as if they would say: “Here we are again! -Are you still here, too?” - -Then what curiosity they display when they find a new bath! How they fly -over and around it, trying to satisfy themselves that it is a safe place -to alight! What joy they express by their splashing! - -It was while taking her bath that Mother Oriole was caught one day by -the camera. Most wonderful to tell, her own babies whom she often -brought with her took this picture. How did they do it? They tried to -perch on the thread leading from the camera over to the house, where I -sat waiting for Mrs. Oriole to come out of the water before taking her -picture. The thread was not strong enough to hold the young birds. They -went down with it, and in so doing snapped the spring which operated the -shutter. This took the picture of Mother Oriole in the bath. - -Those of my bird family who inhabit houses are sure every spring to find -either some new houses, or their old ones cleaned and repaired. - -I always keep two houses up for bluebirds, and several for wrens. It is -pleasant to watch them make their choice, and after a fledging they can -set up housekeeping again in the same house, or take another. My -experience has been that birds become attached to a house where they -have safely fledged a brood, and if it is promptly cleaned they will -return to it, rather than try a new one. But I have known instances -where a pair began a second nesting before the young of their first -brood were fledged. In such a case an extra house is convenient. - - [Illustration: MOTHER ORIOLE IN THE BATH] - -My bluebird house is five by seven inches,[3] and is so shaped as to -afford depth. Sufficient height is secured by means of a gable roof; and -a half-inch hole immediately under the roof affords ventilation. - -The bluebird covers the floor of her house with grasses to the depth of -about an inch and a half. Away back against the rear wall she makes the -little hollow in which she lays her eggs. I make her entrance one inch -and a half in diameter, and just below the middle front. While brooding -she can look outside, and this affords her some diversion during that -monotonous task. This certainly seemed to be what one bluebird aimed at -who nested in Mrs. Daily’s wren house. The wad of grasses in that house -reached clear up to the entrance, which was about four inches above the -floor. Apparently this bird had tried to build her nest high enough so -she could look outside. - -Wrens always make a litter several inches high of twigs and other -materials. In this litter they embed their nest of fine grasses and -feathers. Hence I conclude that they want their entrance several inches -above the floor, so that, on going in, they can walk over the litter and -do not have to grope through it. Being small birds they need only a -small house. After years of experimenting I have settled on five inches -by seven for wrens also, but their house is so shaped as to afford -height. The sides run up at the back to twelve inches. A half-inch hole -high on each side affords ventilation. I make the entrance one inch and -an eighth in diameter, just too small for the English sparrow, but large -enough to serve some other small bird should no wrens come. A smaller -entrance makes it difficult for wrens to get in their bulky nesting -materials. My wrens raised three broods in their little house in the -pear tree last summer. - -A friend of mine bought a wren house which has a low entrance. Some -wrens nested in it. One day Father Wren was very much excited, but no -one could understand what was the trouble. The next day, believing that -the wrens had fledged their young, my friend ordered the house to be -cleaned. To her horror she found Mother Wren wedged in among the -nesting, dead. The babies were dead in their nest. Evidently their -increasing weight had settled the nesting materials so the mother could -not get out any more and neither could Father Wren go in. Let this be a -warning to all who make wren houses, to make the entrance several inches -above the floor! - -My houses for wrens and bluebirds are so made that they can be easily -opened after use, and cleaned. The front on the wren house can be -raised, that on the bluebird house lowered. By means of a screw eye, the -front is securely closed while the house is in use. - - [Illustration: SO MADE THAT THEY CAN BE EASILY OPENED AFTER USE AND - CLEANED] - -Of late I have also used an open shelter. It consists of a tray about -five inches square, roofed over, and serves two purposes. For winter use -I fasten a small wire pocket on it, into which I put beef suet. Then I -mount this shelter about five feet high on a tree. Around the trunk I -fasten strings of peanuts; in the tray I keep shelled corn, of which -cardinals are especially fond. The English sparrow does not care for the -suet, and as he cannot manage the corn nor the peanuts, this feedery -attracts only desirable birds. In March I remove the wire pocket, and -mount the shelter a few feet higher, to serve as a nest shelter for -robins. The roof will ward off heavy rains, which destroy so many -robin’s nests. A similar shelter, if fastened in the shade on a wall, -might attract phœbes. - -When one starts out to make bird houses he should decide first of all -what birds he wishes to attract by means of them. Booklets containing -drawings and instructions for making houses for many kinds of -house-nesting birds can be had free by addressing a postcard to the -Biological Survey, Washington, D.C. - -Whoever tries to attract birds should also protect them from storms, -from their natural enemies, and from meddlesome people. Birds will -sometimes reject a good house because it is not properly mounted, or -because the location is objectionable. The boy and I visited a park -lately where about a hundred bird houses had been put up, and but a few -were said to be occupied. These houses were so constructed that, by -turning a cleat underneath, the floor could be pulled down and out. If -occupied, opening them in this way might have disturbed the nest. We -visited twenty-five of these houses. All except two were mounted so low -that the boy could reach them, some with ease, and turn those cleats. -Only the two which he could not reach were occupied. - -Some people have recommended tin cans as nest boxes for small birds. I -have tried the tin can, carefully painted and placed in the shade. But, -even with these precautions, I would discourage its use. People are so -apt to forget about placing it in the shade! I have seen birds’ nests in -tin cans with little skeletons embedded in them, the birds having been -smothered by the intense heat which metal will store. - -Enough wooden boxes are discarded by grocers, druggists, and other -merchants to stock the country every year with bird houses. If our -fathers and mothers will encourage the making of these discards into -bird houses, shelters, and feederies, it will mark a step forward in -bird protection. - - [Illustration: FOOD HOUSE, MADE OUT OF WASTE MATERIALS] - -Food houses should be protected so that other animals cannot mount and -monopolize them, keeping the birds at bay. The red squirrel will do this -unless the food tray is at least five feet above ground and the post -well sheathed in tin. - -My newest food house has the lid of a cheese box as tray and the top of -a sugar barrel as roof. This flat surface is a handy place for a basin -of water. In each of the four pillars supporting the roof is a hole, to -be stuffed with suet, cheese, peanut butter, etc. My grocer saves the -drippings from his peanut grinder for my birds, so there is no -extravagance in giving them this dainty. Song sparrows and bluebirds -like it as well as the woodpeckers. On the side of the tray I tack -nesting material. So this food house, made out of waste materials, -serves several uses. The boy liked it so well he patterned one after it -for his birds. - -Every autumn a lisping, whispered, dreamy bird song coming from some low -elevation has puzzled me. The bird looked like the song sparrow, but -this soft warble was so different from his spirited spring and summer -songs that I could not believe my eyes. After repeated autumn entries in -my notebook, “I see his heavy breastspot heave and swell, and his tail -quiver as the song sparrow’s always does when he sings,” I was gratified -to find my findings confirmed by another observer.[4] The singer was the -song sparrow. - -But to return to my bird family. - -From the time the first birds arrive in the spring until they leave -again, my notebook and my field glasses are my constant companions. Now -here are some little nature secrets. My notebook is a green one. I have -to buy the paper in large sheets of the wholesaler, and make the books -myself. A green notebook on my lap does not make such a striking patch -on the landscape as a white one would. The birds do not notice it so -readily. Then, whenever I am out “birding,” except in winter, I wear -green clothes. When taking pictures I use green focusing cloths instead -of the usual black ones. These things are great helps in bird study. - -There now! For the first time in this book I have used the word “study” -in connection with birds. Some people think they must study volumes on -ornithology before they can enjoy birds. Nothing could be farther from -the truth. - -Even the little tot in a family may have an interest in his bird -neighbors that will provide him wholesome pastime. I know one who, ever -since he could walk well, has faithfully kept the birds’ bath in the -yard supplied with fresh water, and who saves all the table scraps for -them. He wears an Audubon button and says he is “the birdies’ -policeman.” - -Love, look, listen, appreciate; let these be your watchwords. Just love -the birds. Look, as long as they remain in sight. Observe their ways and -their appearance. Listen to their songs. Try to know your immediate bird -neighbors by appearance, name, and song. Do them a kindness when -possible. This will lead up to recognition of birds, which creates a -desire for study of them. The rest will follow. You will begin to record -observations. You will _wish_ for field glasses and bird books. You will -_want_ to spend your holidays and your vacations where you can see -birds. Before you realize it you will be one of those happiest of -individuals, a nature lover, as all true bird lovers are. It cannot be -otherwise, because the birds will draw you out to nature at all times, -and make you see her in all her moods. - -Then some day, when everybody loves birds, perhaps they will no longer -hide their nests, and may even fly to us, instead of away from us. - - [Illustration: MAYBE THEY WILL FLY TO US, INSTEAD OF AWAY FROM US] - - [Illustration: THE BIRDIES’ POLICEMAN] - - - - - GLOSSARY - - -apartment, room, living quarters. - -Audubon, John James Audubon, noted student of bird life. - -authority, one who has commanding knowledge of a subject. - - -berating, scolding. - -Berlepsch, family name of a nobleman who was noted for his kindness to - birds. - -bewildered, confused. - -birdling, a baby bird. - -blending, mixing. - -bluster, play the bully. - -bungalow, a one-story house. - - -chickfeed, a mixture of cracked grain. - -clamber, climb awkwardly. - -commotion, disturbance. - -conjecture, guess, suppose. - -convenient, suitable, handy. - -cornice, the fancy topmost part of a wall, usually overhanging. - -courageous, full of courage, brave. - -craw, the crop; part of a bird’s throat through which his food passes. - -crouching, lying flat or very close to the ground. - - -delving, making holes by digging; working hard. - -demonstration, a show. - -distinguished, notable, unusually fine. - -distressed, troubled. - -entice, coax, persuade. - -evidently, plainly, clearly. - - -fetch, go and bring back. - -fledge, (_a bird_) to reach the age when its feathers are grown, so that - it can fly; to care for a bird until it reaches that age. - -fledgling, young bird, just out of the nest. - -forage, seek for food. - -frantic, wild with fear or alarm, or even with joy. - - -genial, friendly, kindly. - -gingerly, cautiously, carefully. - -goal, the place one is going to. - -guttural, throaty, hoarse. - - -hepatica, a spring flower, also called _liverwort_. - - -inflection, change in the pitch of the voice. - -insanitary, unhealthful. - -inspect, examine, look into. - -intruder, a meddler, outsider, stranger. - - -larvæ, caterpillars, grubs. - -lore, knowledge. - - -mandible, a jaw, upper or lower, especially of a beak or bill. - -manicure stick, a small smooth stick of orange wood, used in caring for - the finger nails. - -matins, morning songs. - -menace, danger. - -minor tone, low, soft, sad tone. - -minstrel, a traveling musician. - -monopolize, to own, to possess alone. - -monotonous, tiresome. - -morsel, a mouthful, a bit of food. - - -Neufchâtel, a city in Switzerland famed for the manufacture of cheeses. - -nimble, active. - -notional, full of notions, whimsical, “cranky.” - - -obedient, willing to obey, dutiful. - -odious, disagreeable, unpopular, offensive. - -opportunity, chance. - -ornithology, the scientific study of birds. - - -pastime, amusement, play. - -pergola, garden house. - -persecution, pursuit with the object of punishing or hurting. - -pilfering, thieving. - -pleading, begging. - -plumage, feathers. - -preen, smooth down feathers with the beak. - -premises, piece of land belonging to somebody. - -primitive, old-fashioned. - -prospect, view, outlook, scene. - -provisions, food. - - -rasping, harsh, grating. - -ravine, small valley made by running water. - -relent, yield, give in, forgive. - -revenge, return of evil for evil. - -revive, bring back to life. - -rippling, moving up and down or back and forth, like water. - -rung, step (_of a ladder_). - - -sanctuary, refuge, shelter, place of protection. - -serene, quiet, calm. - -sibilant, high, piercing, hissing notes. - -soot, a fine black powder left by smoke on the inside of chimneys. - -stealthily, secretly. - -subdued, overcome, quieted. - -subsist, live on. - -suet, beef fat. - -syringa bush, an ornamental shrub with very sweet white blossoms. - - -tapering, narrowing to a point. - -temporary, for a short time. - -tenants, dwellers, occupants. - -tethered, tied, leashed, hitched to a post or weight. - -tinker, work at anything in an unskilled way. - -tin-sheathed, enclosed in tin sheeting. - -tolerate, put up with, endure. - -transfer, remove. - -trellis, lattice work for vines to grow on. - -trilling, quavering (_said of singing_). - - -underbrush, small trees and bushes growing under large trees in a wood. - - -ventilation, letting in fresh air. - -venture, risk, attempt. - -vespers, evening songs. - -vigilant, watchful. - -vise, clamp. - - -winsome, charming, pleasing. - - -yodeling, warbling, singing with frequent changes from high to low and -low to high. - - - - - DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BIRD HOUSES - - -The figures given below are based on ½″ lumber, except the backs of wren -and bluebird houses and the base and roof of martin house, which should -be ⅞″ thick. - - _Back_ _Sides_ _Front_ _Floor_ _Roof_ _Entrance_ _Air Hole_ - - Bluebird 4″×10″ 5″×7″ 4″×5″ 4″×5½″ 5″×8″ 1½″ dia. ½″ dia. in - house and 7″ 4½″×8″ in middle peak of - gable front gable - Wren 4″×14″ 5″×7″ 4″×7″ 3½″×4″ 7″×8″ 1⅛″ dia. ½″ dia. in - house and 12″ sloping 5″ above each peak - floor - -For picture of bluebird house, see inside back cover; for picture of -wren house, see page 39. The sides of both houses are nailed to the -edges of the back in such a way as to let the back project below, about -one inch. - -In the bluebird house, the upper edges of the sides should be beveled to -fit the slope of the roof. The front of this house is hinged upon a -one-inch brad driven in, on each side, a half-inch above the lower -corner. To enable the front to swing downward, as shown on page 116, the -floor must be fastened in place three-fourths of an inch above the lower -edge of the sides. Before nailing on the roof, see that the front swings -easily. Bore half-inch holes in the projecting back below and above, for -wire to run through to strap the house in place. Add a perch of doweling -a half inch below the entrance. See figure on inside back cover. - -The wren house is also provided with a swinging front, hinged like that -of the bluebird house, but with the brads placed one inch from the upper -corners so that it opens up instead of down. This is shown on page 116. -The upper part of the back of wren house is planed flush with the -sloping sides, and the roof is planed flush with the back. The air holes -on each side will also serve for wire to run through. Other holes for -this purpose should be bored in the projecting back at the bottom. Again -see figure on page 116. Add a perch of doweling a half inch below the -entrance. - - [Illustration: THE FINISHED MARTIN HOUSE] - - [Illustration: RAISING THE MARTIN HOUSE] - -The holes in the backs should be about an inch apart on the surface and -should be bored at an angle, so as to lead the wire snugly around the -trunk. When the houses are put up for use, the front of each is securely -closed by means of a screw eye on the side, which can be easily removed -for the purpose of cleaning. Bluebird and wren houses should be in shade -or part shade, about ten feet above ground, and mounted so that the -upper part tilts slightly forward. - - _Base_ _Box for _Rooms_ _Entrances_ _Pole_ _2 Posts_ - lower - story_ - - Martin 30″×30″ 7″×20″×20″ 6″×6″×7″ 2½″ dia. 4″×6″×16′ 4″×6″×11′ - house 1″ above - floor - -In the center of the base a hole 4″×6″ is cut to fit the pole upon which -the house is to be mounted. Two cleats are nailed underneath the base, -crosswise of the boards and plumb with either side of the 4″×6″ hole. -The box for the lower story is partitioned into nine compartments, each -6″ square and 7″ high. This gives eight outside rooms and a central -space through which the pole may go. In order to provide ventilation -near the ceiling, make the partitions only 6½″ high. They need not be -nailed, but may be dovetailed, like partitions in an egg box. - -To make the house so it can be easily opened, for cleaning or to rout -the English sparrows, fasten the box for lower story in the center of -the base by means of screw eyes and hooks, two on a side. The projecting -part of the base will form a 5″-wide porch all around, a convenience -which martins greatly enjoy. The ceiling is allowed to project 2½″ at -the front and back to form porches for the upper rooms. Add a gable -ample enough to afford at each end a room 6″ wide and 7″ high. In the -upper end of the partition between these two rooms, cut a hole 2½″ in -diameter. The reason for this is stated on page 88, paragraph 2. The -slanting roof should project 2½″ all around. Finish it with a flat top -as shown in the first cut on page 128. Add posts 1″×1″×4″ on which to -staple wire or doweling as perches for the martins. Fasten these little -posts to the flat roof by screws from beneath, before nailing it to the -house. - -Now fit the pole to the central space and screw it securely to the -cleats under the base, and the pole with the house on it is ready to be -set up. The martin house should be at least fifty feet away from a tree -or building, and fifteen feet above ground. - -To mount the martin house so it can be easily let down to be cleaned or -to rout the English sparrows, place the two posts four inches apart and -have them at least six feet high. Set the pole holding the martin house -between them and secure it with two bolts about four feet apart, the -lower bolt being 1½ feet from the ground. To lower the house, remove the -lower bolt and tilt the pole, as shown in the second cut on page 128. -The posts should be creosoted and sunk five feet in cement. - -This cut shows a block and tackle being used to tilt the pole. A further -precaution against having the house crash to the ground would be a -shears made of rough two by four scantling, which can be obtained in -twelve-foot lengths. In making the shears, bolt the scantlings two feet -from the top with an ordinary half-inch carriage bolt, and tie the -bottoms so the legs will not spread too much. - - - - - INDEX - - - B - Bird Calls: Baltimore Oriole, 73. - Bluebird, 29, 32, 34, 35, 56. - Bluejay, 52. - Bob White, 99. - Brown Thrasher, 75. - Cardinal, 104-107, 109. - Cedar Waxwing, 94. - Chickadee, 16. - Chimney Swift, 59, 64, 66, 67, 110. - Crested Flycatcher, 96. - Downy Woodpecker, 12. - Flicker, 48-50. - Goldfinch, 56, 76, 77. - Junco, 99. - Killdeer, 52. - Meadowlark, 54. - Nuthatch, 14. - Pewee, 98. - Phœbe, 97, 98. - Purple Martin, 80, 84, 85, 89. - Redheaded Woodpecker, 73. - Song Sparrow, 54, 119. - Wood Thrush, 50. - Wren, 4, 8, 38, 41. - Blackbird, 75. - Bluebird, 18-20, 24-35, 45, 46, 54-56, 110, 112-115, 119. - Bluejay, 17, 52, 99, 100, 110. - Bob White, 98, 99, 110. - Boy, The, 18, 19, 38, 44-61, 67, 90, 92-101, 117. - Bunny (_See_ Rabbit). - - - C - Canary, Wild (_See_ Goldfinch). - Cardinal, 102-110. - Cat, 9, 10, 23-26, 32, 40, 41, 45, 57, 69, 70, 99, 106. - Chickadee, 16, 17, 20, 46, 52, 56, 103, 111. - - - D - Dog, 21, 22, 101. - - - E - Eggs, 8, 38, 47, 55, 60, 82, 107. - - - F - Flicker, 47-50, 111. - Flycatcher, Crested, 94-96, 110. - Food for Birds, 2, 3, 5-8, 12-17, 23, 24, 33, 34, 47, 52, 58, 60, - 64-67, 73-75, 83, 90, 92, 93, 99-104, 107, 108, 115-119. - Foodhouses, 93, 94, 99, 100, 115-119. - - - G - Goldfinch, 56, 73, 75-77, 110. - - - H - Hawk, 85, 86, 90. - Hawk, Marsh, 48. - Helps in Bird Study, 11, 72, 119, 120. - - - J - Junco, 99, 103, 111. - - - K - Killdeer, 47, 52, 53, 110. - Kitty (_See_ Cat). - - - M - Martin, Purple, 46, 47, 58, 78-91, 110. - Meadowlark, 54, 110. - - - N - Nest and Nestings: Baltimore Oriole, 73. - Bluebird, 30-32, 35, 38, 45, 54-56. - Bluejay, 52. - Brown Thrasher, 74, 75. - Cardinal, 106, 107, 109. - Cedar Waxwing, 94, 96, 97. - Chimney Swift, 59, 61-63. - Flicker, 48. - Goldfinch, 56, 75, 76. - Killdeer, 53, 54. - Phœbe, 97. - Purple Martin, 78, 82. - Redheaded Woodpecker, 73. - Robin, 3, 8, 9, 68, 69. - Wood Thrush, 50, 51. - Wren, 3-5, 8, 36-43, 45. - Nesthouses, 17-20, 24-26, 29-31, 111-115, 117, 118. - Berlepsch house, 94-96. - Bluebird, 18, 19, 25-27, 29-32, 35, 46, 112-115. - Chickadee, 46. - Crested Flycatcher, 94-96. - Purple Martin, 46, 78-91. - Woodpecker, 46. - Wren, 3-5, 18-20, 26, 29, 36-43, 45, 46, 112, 114, 115. - Nest Shelter, 117. - Nuthatch, 14-16, 103, 111. - - - O - Oriole, 58, 72, 73, 110, 112. - - - P - Pewee, 98, 99, 110. - Phœbe, 97, 98, 110, 117. - Pigeon, 2. - Protection, 10, 15, 23-27, 30, 32, 38, 45, 48, 56, 69-71, 117. - - - R - Rabbit, 21-23, 101. - Robin, 2, 3, 8-11, 47, 58, 68-71, 110, 117. - - - S - Sparrow, English, 2, 25-27, 32, 35, 37, 38, 40, 45, 54, 56, 79-82, - 84, 86, 88, 115, 116. - Sparrow, Song, 54, 92, 93, 110, 119. - Squirrel, Gray, 25. - Squirrel, Red, 15, 24-27, 45, 69, 118. - Swallow (_See_ Swift and Purple Martin). - Swift, Chimney, 59-67, 110. - - - T - Thrasher, Brown, 58, 73-75, 110. - Thrush, Wood, 47, 50, 51, 110. - - - W - Waxwing, Cedar, 94, 96, 97, 110. - Woodpecker, 2, 11-14, 17, 20, 46, 52, 119. - Woodpecker, Downy, 11-14, 23, 111. - Woodpecker, Golden-winged (_See_ Flicker). - Woodpecker, Hairy, 12, 111. - Woodpecker, Redheaded, 58, 73, 74, 110. - Wren, 3-8, 11, 18-20, 24, 26, 29, 33, 36-43, 45, 110, 112, 114, - 115. - - - - - FOOTNOTES - - -[1]Dr Francis H. Herrick, author of “The Home Life of Wild Birds.” - -[2]A still better plan for lowering a martin house is described on page - 127. - -[3]These dimensions have been accepted and approved not only by my own - bluebird neighbors, but by a bluebird pair reported in _Bird Lore_ - for July-August, 1916, as having nested in a cemetery, in an earthen - jar that lay upon its side on a grave. The report goes: “The jar - measured five inches across the bottom and about seven inches in - length.” There it is: five by seven! - -[4]Chas. R. Wallace of Delaware, Ohio, in _Bird Lore_, March-April, - 1915, p. 128. - - - [Illustration: Endpaper] - - [Illustration: Endpaper] - - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - - -—Silently corrected a few typos. - -—Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook - is public-domain in the country of publication. - -—In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by - _underscores_. - - - -*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS *** - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the -United States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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} -</style> -</head> -<body> - -<div style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of How To Have Bird Neighbors, by S. Louise Patteson</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: How To Have Bird Neighbors</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: S. Louise Patteson</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: June 7, 2021 [eBook #65548]</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'>Character set encoding: UTF-8</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Produced by: Steve Mattern, Stephen Hutcheson, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net</div> - -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS ***</div> -<div id="cover" class="img"> -<img id="coverpage" src="images/cover.jpg" alt="How to Have Bird Neighbors" width="800" height="1105" /> -</div> -<div class="img" id="fig1"> -<img src="images/p0004_frontis.jpg" alt="" width="628" height="900" /> -<p class="pcap">STRINGS AND COTTON AND CHICKEN FEATHERS FOR THE BIRDS’ NESTINGS (<i>See <a href="#Page_56">page 56</a></i>)</p> -</div> -<div class="box"> -<h1>HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS</h1> -<p class="center"><span class="smaller">BY</span> -<br />S. LOUISE PATTESON -<br /><span class="smaller">AUTHOR OF “PUSSY MEOW, THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A CAT” -<br />AND “KITTY-KAT KIMMIE, A CAT’S TALE”</span></p> -<p class="center smaller">PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE AUTHOR -<br />COVER BY HELEN BABBITT AND ETHEL BLOSSOM</p> -<p class="center small">D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY -<br /><span class="small">BOSTON</span> <span class="hst"><span class="small">NEW YORK</span><span class="hst"> <span class="small">CHICAGO</span></span></span></p> -</div> -<p class="center smaller">COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY -<br />S. LOUISE PATTESON -<br />118</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_iii">iii</div> -<p class="center"><span class="smaller">DEDICATED TO</span> -<br />BOYS AND GIRLS</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_v">v</div> -<h2><span class="small">FOREWORD</span></h2> -<p>This narrative of neighborship with birds is -suggestive rather than exhaustive. It aims not so -much to inform the reader, as to instill in him the -desire to learn from the outdoors itself, to know -<i>at first hand</i> about the charms and the benefactions -of birdlife. The observing reader will supply -what has been left unsaid, and so experience the -zest of initiative, the joy of discovery, in our -mysterious and manifold bird-world.</p> -<div class="verse"> -<p class="lr"><span class="smaller">S. L. P.</span></p> -</div> -<div class="verse"> -<p class="t0"><span class="sc">Waldheim,</span></p> -<p class="t0"><span class="sc">East Cleveland, Ohio</span>,</p> -<p class="t0">October, 1917.</p> -</div> -<div class="img" id="fig2"> -<img src="images/p1001_v.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="472" /> -<p class="pcap">SUET AND DOUGHNUTS FOR DOWNY, CORN FOR THE -CARDINAL, CEREAL FOR THE SONG SPARROW</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_vi">vi</div> -<h2 id="toc" class="center">CONTENTS</h2> -<dl class="toc"> -<dt class="small"><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></dt> -<dt><a href="#c1"><span class="sc">List of Illustrations</span></a> vii</dt> -<dt><a href="#c2"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">I. </span>My First Bird Neighbors</span></a> 1</dt> -<dt><a href="#c3"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">II. </span>New Adventures in Birdland</span></a> 11</dt> -<dt><a href="#c4"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">III. </span>Real Troubles in Birdland</span></a> 21</dt> -<dt><a href="#c5"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">IV. </span>The Bluebirds’ Bungalow</span></a> 28</dt> -<dt><a href="#c6"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">V. </span>The Wrens’ Apartment House</span></a> 36</dt> -<dt><a href="#c7"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">VI. </span>The Boy</span></a> 44</dt> -<dt><a href="#c8"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">VII. </span>The Chimney Swifts</span></a> 62</dt> -<dt><a href="#c9"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">VIII. </span>Birds Not of a Feather</span></a> 68</dt> -<dt><a href="#c10"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">IX. </span>The Martins’ Aircastle</span></a> 78</dt> -<dt><a href="#c11"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">X. </span>More about the Boy</span></a> 92</dt> -<dt><a href="#c12"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">XI. </span>The Cardinals</span></a> 102</dt> -<dt><a href="#c13"><span class="sc"><span class="cn">XII. </span>My Bird Family</span></a> 110</dt> -<dt><a href="#c14"><span class="sc">Glossary</span></a> 123</dt> -<dt><a href="#c15"><span class="sc">Directions for Making Bird Houses</span></a> 127</dt> -<dt><a href="#c16"><span class="sc">Index</span></a> 130</dt> -</dl> -<div class="img" id="fig3"> -<img src="images/p1002_vi.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="556" /> -<p class="pcap">GOLDFINCH FEEDING BABIES</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_vii">vii</div> -<h2 id="c1"><span class="small">LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS</span></h2> -<dl class="toc"> -<dt><a href="#fig1">Strings and cotton and chicken feathers for the birds’ nestings</a> <i>Frontis</i></dt> -<dt class="small"><span class="smaller">PAGE</span></dt> -<dt><a href="#fig2">Suet and doughnuts for downy, corn for the cardinal, cereal for the song sparrow</a> v</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig3">Goldfinch feeding babies</a> vi</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig4">“Oh, where is Mother?”</a> viii</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig5">The basin on the porch railing</a> 1</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig6">They were making that can into a bird home</a> 4</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig7">The baby robins</a> 9</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig8">One winter day a pigeon came in at an open window</a> 10</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig9">Vacant lots attract birds</a> 11</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig10">The winter birds like peanuts and suet</a> 13</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig11">When I did not have peanuts I gave the nuthatch doughnuts</a> 14</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig12">The dear happy chickadee</a> 17</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig13">The selfish nuthatch</a> 20</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig14">Cats belong on their own premises</a> 21</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig15">The basin was Bunny’s looking glass</a> 22</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig16">The genial gray squirrel</a> 27</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig17">The return of the bluebird</a> 28</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig18">Sometimes she was just gliding through the entrance as he alighted on the housetop with a choice morsel for her</a> 31</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig19">Bluebird babies to feed and care for</a> 33</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig20">The bluebirds moved into the pretty double house</a> 34</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig21">Rented for the summer</a> 36</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig22">The small wren house in the pear tree</a> 39</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig23">A baby wren on the window sill</a> 43</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig24">Bluebirds are great helpers in a garden</a> 44</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig25">Baby flicker peeps at the outside world</a> 49</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig26">Mrs. Wood Thrush on her nest</a> 51</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig27">A killdeer’s nest in a potato field</a> 53</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig28">The bluebirds in their primitive home</a> 55</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig29">Every little while a goldfinch came to the “store” tree and got some string</a> 57</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig30">The chimney swifts’ temporary home</a> 60</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig31">The flicker is also called golden-winged woodpecker</a> 61</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig32">Chimney swifts’ nest</a> 62</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig33">One of these Swift babies was put to rest in the nest, but he did not stay there long</a> 63</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig34">A robin’s nest</a> 68</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig35">Near the nest tree was a big stone which the redheaded woodpecker used as a perch</a> 74</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig36">Each little goldfinch called as loud as he could</a> 76</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig37">A young goldfinch alighted on the clothes line</a> 77</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig38">This martin scout brought a lady with him</a> 78</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig39">The martins’ aircastle</a> 81</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig40">The home-coming of the martins</a> 87</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig41">A great gathering in mid-air</a> 91</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig42">A bath for birds and a lunch beside it</a> 92</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig43">The crested flycatcher and a Berlepsch house</a> 95</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig44">Kitty watching for mice</a> 98</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig45">The new food house was visited by bluejays</a> 100</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig46">A feedery much liked by downy</a> 101</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig47">A tree trimmed with peanuts for the birds</a> 102</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig48">The cardinal’s favorite feedery</a> 105</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig49">Always Mr. Cardinal came first and ate a while; then she would follow</a> 109</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig50">Song sparrow</a> 110</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig51">Mother Oriole in the bath</a> 113</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig52">So made that they can be easily opened after use and cleaned</a> 116</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig53">Food house, made out of waste materials</a> 118</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig54">Maybe they will fly to us, instead of away from us</a> 121</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig55">The birdies’ policeman</a> 122</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig56">The finished martin house</a> 128</dt> -<dt><a href="#fig57">Raising the martin house</a> 128</dt> -</dl> -<div class="img" id="fig4"> -<img src="images/p1003_viii.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="503" /> -<p class="pcap">“OH, WHERE IS MOTHER?”</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_ix">ix</div> -<h1 title="">HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS</h1> -<div class="pb" id="Page_1">1</div> -<div class="img" id="fig5"> -<img src="images/p2001.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="612" /> -<p class="pcap">THE BASIN ON THE PORCH RAILING</p> -</div> -<h1 title="">HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS</h1> -<h2 id="c2"><span class="small">I</span> -<br />MY FIRST BIRD NEIGHBORS</h2> -<p>The birds that live in my yard are the loveliest -of all my neighbors. During the springtime and -summer they awaken me every morning with their -sweet songs. Then all the day long their pretty -ways make me wish I had nothing to do but to -watch them.</p> -<p>Now I can imagine someone saying, “If I had -a yard, I, too, would try to have bird neighbors.” -Listen! Before I had a yard I had bird neighbors -on my porch.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_2">2</div> -<p>How did I get them?</p> -<p>In summer, a basin of water on the porch railing, -and in winter, the basin filled with table scraps—this -is what did it. On the porch of that apartment -house I learned how to neighbor with birds.</p> -<p>A kind lady in the next house tied suet and strings -of peanuts to one of her trees. During winter and -spring the woodpeckers enjoyed the treat, while -we enjoyed the woodpeckers! Pigeons and bluejays -came too, and, yes, English sparrows, those birds -that are nowhere welcome. But they didn’t have it -all their own way there, as they do where nothing is -done to attract other birds.</p> -<p>One winter day a beautiful blue and white pigeon -with rose-colored neck came in at an open window. -The streets were covered with snow. It was hard -for birds to find anything to eat. This pigeon ate -some rolled oats that I scattered before it, drank -some water, and walked into a corner. After a nap -it ate some more; then took another nap. When -it awoke again I set it in a waste-paper basket by the -open window, so it could go away when it pleased. -It took several more helpings of oats. Toward evening -it flew away.</p> -<p>Among the pigeons that used to come often to my -porch was my little guest of a day. As the pigeons -ate they always cooed. Perhaps they were remarking -how good it tasted.</p> -<p>In early spring the robins came. They liked little -<span class="pb" id="Page_3">3</span> -scraps of meat. Chopped raw beef was to them the -greatest treat. At the basin they not only drank, -but spread their wings over it and splashed the water -all around, trying to bathe in that shallow dish. It -was only a big flower-pot saucer. While the weather -was still cold, they began to sing mornings before -daylight. It was like listening to Christmas carols -to hear them.</p> -<p>On mild and thawing days they could be seen hopping -over my neighbor’s lawn. Most cunningly they -would turn their heads to one side, then to the other. -It is said that they do this so they can hear the worms -and insects move about in the ground. I believe it; -for often I have seen a robin, after listening intently -at some spot, stop to scratch and dig, then pull out -a worm.</p> -<p>The robins often pulled and jerked at the morning-glory -vines on our porch. Whenever they got one -loose they would gather it up in loops with the bill -and carry it away. They also tore strings off our mop -and flew away with them.</p> -<p>On a pillar of our porch there hung a can in which -we sometimes put flowers. One rainy April day a -little wren alighted on the edge of that can and -looked in. The can was empty at the time, so the -bird went inside, but came out again quickly and -flew away.</p> -<p>Pretty soon two wrens came, and both went inside. -Then for several days they made frequent visits to -<span class="pb" id="Page_4">4</span> -that can, and there was almost constant trilling of -the merriest bubbling songs. Sometimes there was -just a chatter back and forth, as if they were talking -or arguing. These wrens were so much together -that I concluded they were mates.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig6"> -<img src="images/p2004.jpg" alt="" width="611" height="800" /> -<p class="pcap">THEY WERE MAKING THAT CAN -INTO A BIRD HOME</p> -</div> -<p>They fetched little twigs of all kinds and dropped -them into that can. They also fetched bits of cloth -and chicken feathers, as if they actually intended to -make a feather bed. Mr. Wren could carry things -in his bill and sing at the same time. Once in a while, -when he brought something, Mrs. Wren chattered -louder than usual. -It sounded as -though she wasn’t -pleased with what -he had brought. -Sometimes she -wouldn’t even let -him in, and, after -carrying his burden -around for a while, -he would drop it. -But he sang on just -as happily, and entertained -her while -she did most of the -work. This went -on for several days. -At last they fetched -<span class="pb" id="Page_5">5</span> -grasses, too. It was a joy to see how happy they were -at their work. They were making that can into a -bird home.</p> -<p>When the little home was finished, Mrs. Wren -loved it so well that for about two weeks she stayed -in it nearly all the time. Mr. Wren brought her many -kinds of bugs and worms to eat, and sang to her all -the day long.</p> -<p>Soon there were some baby wrens in that little -home. Again Father and Mother Wren worked hard -from daylight until dark, fetching worms and bugs -for their babies to eat. Whenever one came home -with a bill full, he glided right in among those thorny -twigs. How they could do it without getting pricked -was a wonder!</p> -<p>One day all this was changed. Instead of going -into their little home with provisions, both Father and -Mother Wren stayed out on the edge, and held a -worm or a bug where the little ones could see it. -After a while, one of the baby birds came up a little -way to receive a helping of the food. But the big -outdoors must have frightened him; for he ducked -right down again. The next one that came out had -more courage, or else he was more hungry. He received -a helping; then gazed about him a little. Evidently -the world looked pleasant to him. He shook -his feathers, flapped his wings, and didn’t go back -into the little home at all. This was just what Father -and Mother wanted him to do, and each gave him a -<span class="pb" id="Page_6">6</span> -whole worm, although the birdies inside were calling -for some too.</p> -<p>The day was fine. It was still early. The babies -would have all day in which to get used to the outdoors -if they would come out now. To-morrow it -might rain, and the next day, and the next. The -babies were quite old enough to live outside of that -stuffy can. They must come out to-day,—so Father -and Mother Wren had decided.</p> -<p>After the little venturer had received several helpings, -another birdling came scrambling up. He got -all of the next helping. Mother Wren was among -the porch vines, chirping. Every little while she -flew to the little ones, fluttered her wings before -them, and then flew back to the vines. In this way -she was coaxing them to follow her.</p> -<p>Before Number Three came out, the mother had -Numbers One and Two safely among the vines. -Number Four came close behind Number Three. -It wasn’t very pleasant to stay down in the can all -alone. The mother kept up her coaxing until she -managed to get them all in nice, shady places.</p> -<p>It was now about nine o’clock. The rest of the -day was spent quietly among the vines. After they -had rested a little from the excitement of their first -flight, Mother tried to keep them moving from vine -to vine. One was more clever than the others. He -learned everything quickly.</p> -<p>The Wren family lived in the vines all the next -<span class="pb" id="Page_7">7</span> -day. On the third day Mother Wren began to coax -them farther away. Back and forth she flew between -the porch and my neighbor’s tree, and around -in circles, to show the babies how to do it. Father -Wren coaxed them on with a white worm in his bill. -He was not singing much now, because these growing -birds needed more and more food. Also, father-wisdom -bade him keep quiet lest his babies be discovered -and come to harm.</p> -<p>The cleverest of the four was also the biggest; so -it was easy to tell him from the rest. Again, he was -always the first to venture. But as he neared the -tree, when he had almost reached his goal, he began -to drop; and he fell to the ground. Fearing some -harm might come to him, I went down quickly with -the long-handled dust mop. It was fuzzy, and soft -for him to rest on. With it I hoisted him to a low -branch. Mother and Father Wren scolded, but -went to the young bird as soon as my back was -turned. Birds do not like to have people meddle -with their affairs; but sometimes when they are in -trouble we can help them.</p> -<p>Maybe this little mishap showed Mother Wren that -her babies were not yet strong enough to fly so far. -Anyway, she waited until the next day before she -urged the others to go. Even then she was not quite -decided. At dinner time the three were still on the -porch. They had reached the highest rung of the -trellis. In the afternoon, when I returned from -<span class="pb" id="Page_8">8</span> -school, they were gone. Father Wren was again -singing his cheery songs. He had kept pretty quiet -while the little ones were learning to fly. Why? Because -he did not want anyone to find out where they -were.</p> -<p>My robins, meanwhile, had made themselves a -nest on a high window sill at the far end of the porch; -but not until the wrens began nesting did I discover -it. Already there were three blue eggs in it. The -robins seemed so distressed at being found out that -we kept away from that end of the porch until they -got well used to us. The wrens didn’t fear us at all. -They came to their nest no matter how many people -were on the porch.</p> -<p>I had now learned what the wrens and the robins -like for their nestings; so I fastened strings, shreds -of cloth, some cotton, and small chicken feathers to -the low branches of my neighbor’s trees, and also on -my porch. I had read somewhere that some birds will -pull feathers out of their own bodies, if they can find -none elsewhere, with which to line their nests. After -the wrens had cleaned out the can, they helped -themselves to cotton and feathers, and made ready for -their second nesting.</p> -<p>Father and Mother Robin were such devoted -parents, it seemed as if they couldn’t do enough. -Their babies always craned their necks and opened -their bills wide as soon as they heard anyone near. -As they grew older they also chattered and flapped -<span class="pb" id="Page_9">9</span> -their wings. Sometimes they fluttered over the sides -of the nest so far that I feared they would fall off -the high window sill.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig7"> -<img src="images/p2009.jpg" alt="" width="889" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap">THE BABY ROBINS</p> -</div> -<p>One morning the robins’ nest was empty, and the -young were over on my neighbor’s lawn. For convenience -I will call this neighbor Mrs. Daily. She -lived on our right. The neighbor to our left was -Mrs. Cotton.</p> -<p>A birds’ bath at Mrs. Daily’s and the tree with -nesting materials on it showed the birds that they -were welcome there. So the parents coaxed their -young in that direction.</p> -<p>Mrs. Cotton also tried to attract birds. But her -basin sometimes went dry for days. Also, she had a -big, beautiful cat that was usually somewhere in the -<span class="pb" id="Page_10">10</span> -yard. It was not so inviting there, according to -birds’ ways of thinking, nor so safe for their young, -as over at Mrs. Daily’s, where the cat was kept in.</p> -<p>I kept our kitty locked up night and day, and -asked my neighbors to keep their cats in, too, until -these young robins could fly up into trees. At first -they could only fly sideways. It is more than just a -kind act to save young robins from harm: it is saving -birds who will be useful and pleasing all their lives, -and who will spread happiness wherever they go.</p> -<p>When I saw how my birds left me as soon as their -young could fly, I began to wish that I, too, had a -yard and trees, like my neighbors. I longed to have -more birds, and birds of different kinds.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig8"> -<img src="images/p2010.jpg" alt="" width="821" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap">ONE WINTER DAY A PIGEON CAME IN AT AN OPEN -WINDOW</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_11">11</div> -<div class="img" id="fig9"> -<img src="images/p2011.jpg" alt="" width="640" height="800" /> -<p class="pcap">VACANT LOTS ATTRACT BIRDS</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c3"><span class="small">II</span> -<br />NEW ADVENTURES IN BIRDLAND</h2> -<p>I got my wish: Our present home is a whole -house, with a yard. We have big trees and little -ones, and on one side there is a grape arbor. All -around us are vacant lots, where thornapple bushes, -dogwood trees, and tall sunflowers grow. These -attract birds. Behind the vacant lots there is a -ravine with wild cherry trees, elder bushes, wild -grape tangles, and other attractions for birds.</p> -<p>The wrens and the robins had gone to their winter -homes when we moved, and the woodpeckers had -come. I had bought a bird guide with colored -pictures, and a pair of field glasses which brought -those black and white birds very near to me. Some -had red on the back of the head. They were the -<span class="pb" id="Page_12">12</span> -downy woodpeckers. A bird very much like the -downy, but larger, was the hairy woodpecker. And -there were birds just like the downy and hairy but -without the red patch on the head. They were the -mates of the downy and the hairy.</p> -<p>Whenever I heard a brisk “chsip,” I could see -downy approach in graceful, curving flight toward -some tree. Usually he perched near the bottom and -climbed up, pecking and scratching as he went. -Sometimes he alighted higher up and came down -cat-fashion, but always busily pecking at the bark. -The hairy did the same. This must be why these -birds are called woodpeckers.</p> -<p>Knowing how well the winter birds like peanuts -and suet, I fastened strings of peanuts across a bird -table that I had made, and in the tray below I -kept suet. I also scattered chickfeed on the ground -beside a tree, and added to it buckwheat and sunflower -seeds. But I soon learned better than to put -anything for birds near a tree behind which a cat -could hide!</p> -<p>It was great fun to watch the different birds select -their favorite food. The woodpeckers liked the suet -so well that, while it was on hand, they hardly ever -touched the peanuts. Downy also liked the chickfeed; -but he did not like to step down to the ground. -In trying to get it, he would back down the tree until -his tail touched the ground. Then, without leaving -the tree and while propped on his tail, he reached -<span class="pb" id="Page_13">13</span> -over to the right or left and picked up kernels. In -this way he could eat without stepping on the ground.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig10"> -<img src="images/p2013.jpg" alt="" width="702" height="900" /> -<p class="pcap">THE WINTER BIRDS LIKE PEANUTS AND SUET</p> -</div> -<p>And downy had good eating manners. He never -<span class="pb" id="Page_14">14</span> -hurried, never fidgeted. Sometimes he stayed twenty -minutes at a meal and ate slowly and quietly, like -a well-bred person.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig11"> -<img src="images/p2014.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="819" /> -<p class="pcap">WHEN I DID NOT HAVE PEANUTS I GAVE THE -NUTHATCH DOUGHNUTS</p> -</div> -<p>Another bird that came to my place in winter had -a light blue back and a white front. His wings and -tail were dark blue, and so was the top of his head. -I always knew he was near when I heard a sound -like “gack” or “yack.” He liked the peanuts -better than anything else. With his sharp bill he -would punch a nut, then hold down the shell while -<span class="pb" id="Page_15">15</span> -he pulled out the kernel. Maybe this is why he is -called the nuthatch. Sometimes, when I did not -have peanuts, I gave him doughnuts. He liked them -just as well. He would nibble at a doughnut until -it dropped from the nail, then go to the ground and -forage there. He liked cheese also.</p> -<p>I soon found that somebody else, too, liked suet -and peanuts. This was the red squirrel, and when -he was on the table the birds would not come near. -However, it was birds I wanted and not squirrels,—especially -not the red squirrel, who is said to bother -birds in many ways. To keep him away I nailed -tin sheeting around the post of the bird table.</p> -<p>I am sorry to say that the nuthatch was not at -all polite to other birds. He always wanted all the -food himself, no matter how much there was on hand. -He would flit from one feeding place to another and -chase the other birds away. I stopped putting peanuts -on the table, so that he would have no excuse -to go there and the birds who liked the suet might -eat in peace. I put all the peanuts on the tree -farthest back in the vacant lot and made the selfish -nuthatch eat there by himself.</p> -<p>Another thing that was not nice about the nuthatch -was his way of eating. He was always in a -hurry. He would take the kernel out of a nut, -walk up the tree with it, and fly away. Then he -would come back quickly and do the same thing -again, as if afraid another bird might get something. -<span class="pb" id="Page_16">16</span> -Sometimes he kept this up for an hour or more. -Even after all the peanuts were moved to his tree, -he would bluster around at the other feeding places -and try to drive those peaceable birds away.</p> -<p>The dearest of all my winter birds were some that -came singing in all sorts of weather. I called them -my little minstrels.</p> -<p>“Chicaday, chicaday, chicaday-day-day-day,” was -their song. Somebody has named them chickadees, -and the name just fits. If you should see a little -gray bird with a black cap and bib, who comes singing -that song, you may know that you have seen a -chickadee.</p> -<p>The chickadees were not at all particular what -they ate. They sang just as cheerily when they had -only breadcrumbs as they did when they found suet -and peanuts and sunflower seeds. They never -wasted their food. If any fell to the ground they -picked it up. They were the politest of birds and, -like the downy and the hairy, they worked at the -trees most of the time.</p> -<p>These winter birds are some of nature’s best -house-cleaners. They work all through the cold and -stormy season when the other birds are away in their -sunny winter homes. Should we not remember to -give them a treat once in a while, and so brighten -the cold days with good cheer?</p> -<p>From the very first, I heard many bird voices -coming from the ravine. So one morning I took -<span class="pb" id="Page_17">17</span> -a walk out that way. Scattered all along were tall -sunflowers, now gone to seed. Foraging on some -were the noisy bluejays, on others the dear happy -chickadees. The trees were bare, so that I could -see as well as hear the birds. Woodpeckers were -tapping, pecking, delving. All along I heard this -pleasing, friendly music, as if the birds were following -me. So pleasant was my walk that I did not realize -how far I was going until I was at the end of the -city, where the country begins.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig12"> -<img src="images/p2017.jpg" alt="" width="867" height="500" /> -<p class="pcap">THE DEAR HAPPY CHICKADEE</p> -</div> -<p>A good way off were some widely scattered houses. -On a tall pole near the first house was a very large -bird house. As I drew nearer, three small bird -houses came in sight.</p> -<p>I made up my mind to get acquainted with the -<span class="pb" id="Page_18">18</span> -people in that home. A pleasant lady opened the -door and invited me in.</p> -<p>“Who put up those bird houses?” I asked, the -first thing.</p> -<p>“That’s my boy,” said the lady. “He just loves -to tinker with his tools.” She pointed with pride -to a clock shelf which she said he had made for her -birthday.</p> -<p>“And he made that big bird house, too?” I asked.</p> -<p>“He made every one,” answered the lady, “and -he is making more. He is learning it in the manual -training school.”</p> -<p>I told her I wanted to make some bird houses, -but didn’t know just how to go about it.</p> -<p>Then she led me into a tiny room off the kitchen. -There by the window stood an old dry goods box -that had been fitted up as a work bench, with a vise -and a rack for small tools. Larger tools were hanging -on the wall. On some shelves were wooden -boxes and boards. On the work bench lay a bird -house. I picked it up and looked at it.</p> -<p>“He says that’s to be for wrens,” explained the -lady. From a chest she produced another bird -house which she said was for bluebirds.</p> -<p>“He makes them out of these boxes that he gets -from our grocer,” she added, “and I save the starch -boxes for him.”</p> -<p>The lady had much to do, so I made ready to go. -But she went on talking:</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_19">19</div> -<p>“At first, I couldn’t bear to give up this little -storeroom. But since I have seen how happy it -makes Laddie to have this little ‘shop,’ as he calls -it, I am glad I gave in to him. Would you believe -it: from the time he begins to work with these tools -until he lays them down again he whistles and sings -like a bird himself! I think anything that makes a -boy so contented must be good for him.”</p> -<p>The lady then went about her work, telling me not -to hurry. So I stayed to take some measurements -of the bird houses. Both were made so that they -could be opened in front.</p> -<p>“He makes them that way so they can be easily -cleaned,” explained the lady.</p> -<p>On the way home I stopped at our grocer’s and -got some small wooden boxes. Two were yeast -foam boxes, and one was a cocoa box. I, too, had -learned in manual training school how to use simple -tools, so I bought also a saw, plane, shaving knife, -brace and set of bits, and a small vise. Then out -of an old sewing machine stand I made a work -bench, and a light corner of the basement became -my “shop.” I made those yeast foam boxes into -wren houses, and out of the cocoa box I made a bluebird -house. The boy’s mother had told me that -his manual training teacher was a lady, and that -she was “just as good as a man,” so I felt quite -proud of my new fancy work.</p> -<p>The house for bluebirds and one for wrens were put -<span class="pb" id="Page_20">20</span> -up in trees. The other wren house was mounted -on a post above the grape arbor. But it did not -stay there long, for I soon found that a grape arbor -is no place for a bird house. Can you guess why -not?</p> -<p>It was while waiting for the wrens and the bluebirds -to come that I had such delightful times with -the woodpeckers, the nuthatches and the chickadees.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig13"> -<img src="images/p2020.jpg" alt="" width="543" height="800" /> -<p class="pcap">THE SELFISH NUTHATCH</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_21">21</div> -<div class="img" id="fig14"> -<img src="images/p2021.jpg" alt="" width="701" height="700" /> -<p class="pcap">CATS BELONG ON THEIR OWN PREMISES</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c4"><span class="small">III</span> -<br />REAL TROUBLES IN BIRDLAND</h2> -<p>I said that birds were lovely neighbors. So are -some other animals. At my new home I soon became -acquainted with a wild rabbit. Two dogs -roamed around in the vacant lots and in the ravine -a great deal. Often when I heard them barking, -the next thing I saw would be Bunny, running as -fast as he could toward our place, with the dogs -<span class="pb" id="Page_22">22</span> -after him. Bunny could glide through under the -garden fence, and that was lucky for him. The -dogs were too big and couldn’t.</p> -<p>I was glad when Bunny came to our place for safety. -He liked slices of apple so well that he would come -nearer and nearer to get them, until finally he ate -out of my hand.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig15"> -<img src="images/p2022.jpg" alt="" width="730" height="700" /> -<p class="pcap">THE BASIN WAS BUNNY’S LOOKING-GLASS</p> -</div> -<p>One hot day while Bunny was in our yard, he saw -the birds’ basin, and went there to drink. He had -<span class="pb" id="Page_23">23</span> -been accustomed to drink at the brook in the ravine, -where the water always runs, if there is any. -But the brook was dried up at this time of year. -The clear, still water in the basin was a new thing -to Bunny. He took a long look at it. Seeing himself -pictured in the water was another new thing to -him, and he looked again and again. Evidently he -thought himself quite handsome, for even after it -rained and the brook filled up again, he still kept -coming. The basin was his looking-glass.</p> -<p>I am sorry for what I have to tell about some other -animals. One day our neighbor’s cat lay crouching -near the tree under which the chickfeed was scattered. -A downy woodpecker was just coming down the tree. -Kitty’s eyes glared. Her teeth chattered. But evidently -the downy did not see her. I scolded Kitty -and drove her away. This disturbed the downy, and -he flew away too. But that was better than to let -him come down where Kitty could jump on him. -She could easily have done so while he was reaching -over to the ground for a kernel.</p> -<p>After this experience I covered up all the chickfeed -beside the tree, and scattered some in more exposed -places, away from any trees and from bushes. -I also laid suet on low branches of trees and tied it -on firmly, and poked some into small holes of old -trees, and under the bark.</p> -<p>Soon afterward I saw the same cat again. This -time she was on a branch, eating suet. That set -<span class="pb" id="Page_24">24</span> -me to thinking: “If the cat can get to the suet in -the tree, she will also be able to get to the bird -houses. Some day she might find some baby birds -in there, not yet able to fly.”</p> -<p>I did not take away the suet which the birds -liked so well. I got some tin sheeting and tacked -it around the tree. The cat could not climb over -the smooth sheeting.</p> -<p>Imagine my surprise when I saw her up there at -the suet again! “How did she get there?” I -wondered to myself. Day after day I watched Kitty -before I found her out.</p> -<p>One morning, who should go climbing up that -tree but a red squirrel? When he reached the tin, -he looked around and made a loud chatter. Seeing -no one, he took one big jump over the sheeting and -went to the suet. After tasting it, he wiped his -mouth on the bark as if he did not like it. Then he -went over to the bluebird house. The entrance to -this little house had been nicked by somebody with -sharp little teeth. Now I found out who that -somebody was. This squirrel was even now nibbling -at the entrance, trying to make it still bigger. -At the wren house somebody had broken off the little -porch, which was probably the squirrel’s doing also.</p> -<p>I wondered what I should do to keep this squirrel -from spoiling my bird houses. Some more tin sheeting, -I thought, would fix it so he could not jump -over. I put another sheet just above the first one. -<span class="pb" id="Page_25">25</span> -That made the tin protection thirty-six inches deep. -When the squirrel came the next time, he climbed -as far as he could, then looked up at the tin. That -was too high a jump. He turned, jumped to the -ground, and scampered away.</p> -<p>The pilfering red squirrel is not to be confounded -with the genial gray squirrel of our parks, who loves -to take peanuts out of our hands.</p> -<p>I still wondered how Kitty had made her way to -the suet, with the tin around that tree. Surely she -could not jump over the tin! As a jumper the -squirrel can beat Kitty any time. One day I heard -a scratching noise. Kitty was sharpening her claws -on the bark of the next tree. Every little while she -climbed a few steps up that tree; then sharpened her -claws again. There was nothing in that tree that -she could harm, so I let her go on. She walked along -on one of the branches, and jumped across to a -branch on the other tree, the one that held the -bluebird house, and smelled around there. It was -early spring. There were no young birds in the -house yet; so I let her go on, just to see what she -would do. Some English sparrows had started to -nest in the little house. Kitty pulled out grasses -and feathers, and spoiled the nest.</p> -<p>Now just think how wise she was to plan that all -out so nicely! And all she gets for it is scolding! -Why should we blame Kitty for liking birds? We -like our chicken dinners. We praise Kitty when she -<span class="pb" id="Page_26">26</span> -catches a mouse or a rat. Some people even entice -her to catch English sparrows. How can she know -it is good to clean out a mouse nest and naughty to -clean out a bird nest?</p> -<p>Two things can be done to lessen the loss of birds -by cats. First, to safeguard in every possible way -every bird house, feeding place, and bath. Second, -to compel the owners of cats to keep them on their -own premises, and to lock them up nights. It is at -night, when there is no one to interfere, that cats do -the most damage to birds.</p> -<p>I knew that if Kitty could jump from that tree to -the next one, the squirrel could do it, too; so I put -double tin sheeting on that tree also.</p> -<p>But such a clever cat and such a nimble squirrel -would also know how to climb the grape arbor, I -thought; so I took the wren house off the arbor. -This house also had been nibbled and the entrance -made much larger. I concluded that the worst of -all places for a bird house is a grape arbor, a pergola, -or a garden arch.</p> -<p>A friend had sent me a beautiful wren house. It -was shaped like a small barrel, and had four rooms. -I called it the apartment house. Fortunately, it was -made of such hard wood that no squirrel could bite -through. I had this house put on a tin-sheathed -post on the north side of the house where it would be -in shade.</p> -<p>For the bluebirds I put up two new houses. The -<span class="pb" id="Page_27">27</span> -one that had been up all winter was so smelly of -squirrels and English sparrows that I knew the dainty -bluebirds would not like it. The time was near -for the birds to return from their winter homes. I -wanted everything clean and safe for them.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig16"> -<img src="images/p2027.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="602" /> -<p class="pcap">THE GENIAL GRAY SQUIRREL</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_28">28</div> -<div class="img" id="fig17"> -<img src="images/p2028.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="759" /> -<p class="pcap">THE RETURN OF THE BLUEBIRD</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c5"><span class="small">IV</span> -<br />THE BLUEBIRDS’ BUNGALOW</h2> -<p>I love the springtime because it brings my birds -back from their winter homes.</p> -<p>One cold March day I saw something blue flash -across the sky.</p> -<p>“Can that be the bluebird I have been waiting -for?” I thought.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_29">29</div> -<p>It flew into a tree; then alighted on a clothesline -post. I could plainly see the blue on its back and -the red on its front. Yes, it was the bluebird. His -song was as beautiful as his plumage, but in a minor -tone:</p> -<p class="center">“De-<sub class="l1">ary!</sub> <span class="hst">De-<sub class="l1">ary!”</sub></span></p> -<p>Next he flew to the top of the wren house, tripped -along the roof, leaned over and looked at the little -porches. Then he went down on one of them and -looked into the room. That was as far as he could -go. The entrances to these apartments had been -made for the tiny wrens and not for bluebirds. -When he saw the bluebird house in the tree, he flew -to a branch just in front of it and looked at it a -while. Then he flew back to the wren house and tried -that again; he liked it so well, he couldn’t bear to -give it up.</p> -<p>After a week or so another bird came, of much -paler hue, but with the reddish breast. The song of -my bluebird now became long and pleading: “Deary! -dear, dear, deary!” But it still remained subdued -and minor. Together he and his newly arrived companion -visited the bird houses, so I concluded that -they were mates. They could hardly make up their -minds which house to take, so pleased were they with -all of them. Mrs. Bluebird tried the wren house, -too. But when she saw she could not get inside she -did not go there any more.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_30">30</div> -<p>My prettiest bluebird house was on our hammock -post, well shaded by our biggest tree. I had read -somewhere that bluebirds like to have one house for -spring and another for summer. So this house was -made with two rooms, one above the other. I -thought the bluebirds would surely like this double -house better than the single one, for they went inside -it many times, and always stayed there long.</p> -<p>The other house, which was mounted on a young -maple, was not nearly so pretty. It was made out -of cigar boxes and I had forgotten to take off the -labels. After the bluebirds had visited it I did not -dare touch it because, if their houses are interfered -with, birds are liable to go away. Both the maple -and the hammock post were well protected with tin -sheeting.</p> -<p>One day Mrs. Bluebird fetched some grasses in -her bill. To my great joy she alighted on the perch -in front of the double house. Twice she poised to -fly, but did not. At last she flew—and where do -you think she went? Why, to that ugly little house -with the labels on it!</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_31">31</div> -<div class="img" id="fig18"> -<img src="images/p2031.jpg" alt="" width="666" height="700" /> -<p class="pcap">SOMETIMES SHE WAS JUST GLIDING THROUGH THE -ENTRANCE AS HE ALIGHTED ON THE HOUSETOP -WITH A CHOICE MORSEL FOR HER</p> -</div> -<p>While she was in the house, Mr. Bluebird alighted -on the porch, looked in, and sang a little song. Mrs. -Bluebird flew out past him and almost brushed him -off. Then he went inside, and just as Mrs. Bluebird -returned with some more grasses he came out with -a chip in his bill. Some chips had fallen inside when -I made the entrance, and he did not like that. The -little house must be clean, since Mrs. Bluebird was -going to make her nest in it. Sometimes he brought -a grass or two; she brought whole wads of grasses. -But he made up in attentions to her. Wherever she -might be working, he perched near by, on a fence -<span class="pb" id="Page_32">32</span> -post or a low branch, and kept his eyes on her. As -she went from place to place to find the right kind of -grasses, or to the little house to throw them in, he -always followed her. Sometimes she was just gliding -through the entrance with a load as he alighted on -the housetop with a choice morsel for her to eat.</p> -<p>One day our neighbor’s cat was hiding behind an -evergreen near where Mrs. Bluebird was hunting -grasses. Mr. Bluebird’s bright eyes saw her just in -time.</p> -<p>“Dear-dear-dear!” he cried, quickly and jerkily.</p> -<p>Mrs. Bluebird knew that that meant, “Danger! -Fly quick!!” Up she flew, and away.</p> -<p>The cat jumped high and almost caught her.</p> -<p>After that I chased the cat away every time I saw -her. There certainly should be a law to make people -keep their cats at home.</p> -<p>When Mrs. Bluebird had her house all furnished -she stayed at home about two weeks and took a good -rest. Mr. Bluebird continued to bring her meals -and to entertain her. When he was not hunting -bugs and worms, or chasing English sparrows, he -was sure to be somewhere near home, singing his -sweetest songs.</p> -<p>When Mrs. Bluebird was able to be out again she -and Mr. Bluebird were busier than ever. Both were -carrying food to the little house. I knew then that -they had babies in there, so I called him Father, and -her Mother.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_33">33</div> -<div class="img" id="fig19"> -<img src="images/p2033.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="619" /> -<p class="pcap">BLUEBIRD BABIES TO FEED AND CARE FOR</p> -</div> -<p>The bluebirds caught some of their food in the air, -but a good deal of it they picked up in my garden. -I had some low stakes there expressly for them. -They perched on these and on the bean-poles, and -from there pounced on many a luckless worm or bug -that their sharp eyes espied. I am sure the bluebirds -are great helpers in a garden.</p> -<p>After two busy weeks of baby-tending, Father and -Mother Bluebird did just what the little wrens had -done. They made the babies come outside for their -food, or go hungry.</p> -<p>I think the first little bird to leave a nest must be -<span class="pb" id="Page_34">34</span> -very courageous. The -others usually follow -close after him. It was -so with these bluebirds. -And as they -came out, one after -another, Mother -coaxed them over to -the thornapple bushes. -She did it by calling, -“Dear dear,” and flying -back and forth -between the little house -and the bushes.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig20"> -<img src="images/p2034.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="949" /> -<p class="pcap">THE BLUEBIRDS MOVED INTO -THE PRETTY DOUBLE HOUSE</p> -</div> -<p>Some of the baby -bluebirds were quite -obedient and flew after -the mother. Two liked -it so well on a branch -in front of their house -that they stayed there -a while; then flew to -other branches in the -same tree. Father -looked after these, and -Mother stayed with -the other three. What -a chatter they always -made when food was brought to them! It seemed -<span class="pb" id="Page_35">35</span> -as if each one said: “Come to me! Come to -me!”</p> -<p>While Father and Mother Bluebird had those babies -to feed and to care for, they started another housekeeping. -This time they moved into the pretty -double house and took the lower story. In the second -coming-out party there were four more little bluebirds.</p> -<p>All through this second housekeeping the English -sparrows tried repeatedly to get into the upper story, -and Father Bluebird had to spend much time chasing -them away. In the one-story house he had that much -more time to get food, or to sing.</p> -<p>I did not clean the bungalow house after their first -nesting, because I did not want the bluebirds to nest -in it again. After the double house was vacated, I -cleaned both houses, and found that the bluebirds -had used only grasses and a few feathers for their -nesting. In each case they had covered the entire -floor with grasses, but the cup-like nest was back -against the rear wall, as far from the entrance as it -could possibly be.</p> -<p>What could this mean but that the bluebird likes -a house with depth so she can bed her young as far -back from meddling paws as possible? This much I -learned from examining the deserted bluebird nests.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_36">36</div> -<div class="img" id="fig21"> -<img src="images/p2036.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="690" /> -<p class="pcap">RENTED FOR THE SUMMER</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c6"><span class="small">V</span> -<br />THE WRENS’ APARTMENT HOUSE</h2> -<p>A four-room house which had been sent to me -was very much liked by a pair of wrens. Again their -lively, rippling notes filled the air, as these wrens -went from room to room of this “apartment house,” -as I called it. It was three days before they made -up their minds which room they liked best.</p> -<p>Then they brought little twigs and bits of rag, and -leaves, and other things, and poked them into one -<span class="pb" id="Page_37">37</span> -of the rooms. It was as good as saying, “We will -take this apartment for the summer.”</p> -<p>Some English sparrows wanted that same room. -We always shooed them away, of course, if we could -without frightening the other birds. The wrens -jabbered and hissed at the sparrows, and stayed, -pecking them and being pecked by them. There -were four sparrows and only the two wrens; so the -poor little wrens finally gave up and went away.</p> -<p>But, try as they would, the sparrows could not -get inside of the house. After a while, they, too, -went away. Then the wrens returned. It seemed -as if they had been watching for the chance.</p> -<p>The wrens soon fetched more twigs, some of them -several inches long. They poked them in as far as -they would go; then went inside and pulled them in -as well as they could. But some of the longest ones -remained partly outside and so blocked the entrance -to any birds except the tiny wrens.</p> -<p>Again the English sparrows came and, although -they couldn’t even get their heads in now, still they -bothered the wrens. They couldn’t have that room -themselves, and they didn’t want anybody else to -have it.</p> -<p>With such a mean spirit is it any wonder that -nobody likes these birds? I cannot bear to call them -sparrows any more, because so many good birds go by -that name, and are therefore in danger of being disliked. -Or, I wish that all the good sparrows could -<span class="pb" id="Page_38">38</span> -have a different name, and let the English sparrow -alone keep the name he has dishonored.</p> -<p>The boy has told me that, to keep English sparrows -from increasing around his place, he destroys their -eggs wherever he can find them. He said that one -pair of sparrows seemed to blame the bluebirds for -it, and in revenge destroyed the bluebirds’ nest.</p> -<p>We kept up the shooing and handclapping whenever -English sparrows visited the wren house. After -a while the wrens began to understand that we were -trying to help them, and went on with their nesting. -They put tiny sticks and twigs into other rooms of -their house also,—and now there was a perfect -concert of wren music all the time. Before night -two more entrances were blocked. Some of the twigs -that these wrens brought had such long thorns on -them that they would not go inside at all. But this -did not discourage the plucky wrens. They just -dropped them to the ground and fetched others.</p> -<p>The next day another pair of wrens came. It -seemed as if wrens had a way of letting their friends -know where some nice apartments could be had. I -was so eager to accommodate as many wrens as -would come that I had made some one-room houses -for them. One was mounted in a pear tree; another -under the overhang of the garage roof.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_39">39</div> -<div class="img" id="fig22"> -<img src="images/p2039.jpg" alt="" width="782" height="800" /> -<p class="pcap">THE SMALL WREN HOUSE IN THE PEAR TREE</p> -</div> -<p>This last wren pair seemed quite bewildered with -so many houses to choose from, and all of them different. -Whenever Mrs. Wren showed preference for -one house, Mr. Wren would go to another one and -with his singing try to coax her there. She was seen -oftener about the house under the garage roof, than -the others. Mr. Wren seemed to like the apartment -house best. He was such a jolly little fellow, it is no -wonder he liked to have company. But Mrs. Wren -did not care for that at all. A small cottage was her -choice. After making us believe that she liked the -<span class="pb" id="Page_40">40</span> -one under the garage roof, she came with a stick -about three inches long and flitted about with it.</p> -<p>Mr. Wren had already put some nesting material -into the apartment house. But hard as he tried, -by singing and by soft chatter, which I suppose was -coaxing, and by frequent visits to the apartment -house, he could not win her over. Her mind was made -up, and it must be—what? Well, it was the small -house in the pear tree. When Mr. Wren saw that -he couldn’t have his way, why, of course, that small -house became his choice too.</p> -<p>Each of these pairs of wrens raised some babies. -But with all their work and family cares, and the -English sparrows to bother them at times, they were -always a happy company. They could sing just as -beautifully when carrying twigs or worms or bugs as -at any other time. Their happy music made a -continuous open-air concert. And their manners, -whether at work or at play, were so entertaining that -I could not bear to take my eyes off them.</p> -<p>This went on through late April and part of May. -One morning the wrens were all excited. Two of -their little ones were on the ground. Our kitty had -been tethered to a hitching weight; but now, fearing -one of the little wrens might fly near her, I locked -her up. The parents were coaxing their little birds -over toward the vacant lot where the thornapple -bushes are. These bushes start even with the ground -and are so dense, and have such long, sharp needles, -<span class="pb" id="Page_41">41</span> -that a cat would get her eyes scratched out if she -tried to go in. I shall always plant thornapple -bushes wherever I may live, especially for the protection -of young birds. And I shall plant several -close together, so as to make a dense thicket. These -bushes will provide food for birds, as well as protection.</p> -<p>The way these wrens coaxed their little ones to -follow was very clever. They would go near them; -then walk away trailing their wings. This made a -soft, rustling, coaxing sound. But it was over an -hour before they succeeded in getting the little ones -where they wanted them. They had to come back -to them again and again and keep up the coaxing. -I was glad when they finally had them safe under -those thorny branches, where I could not see them -any more for the leaves.</p> -<p>By this time two more young were ready to leave -the house. One was already on the little porch, the -other peered out of the entrance. These were wiser -than the first two. Instead of going to the ground, -one flew to the kitchen roof which was near and -almost even with the wren house. It was a flat roof -covered with gravel. Pretty soon the second baby -also flew to the roof.</p> -<p>It must indeed be a wonderful event in the life of -a bird when first he steps out of the crowded little -home and looks around him at the big outdoors. -Then what courage it must take to venture on his -<span class="pb" id="Page_42">42</span> -wings! He has fluttered them a few times over the -nest, of course, but that is not to be compared with -just bouncing out into the air and trusting to his -wings to bear him up.</p> -<p>The two stayed on the kitchen roof all the rest of -the day. I put a potted plant out there for them to -perch on. In the morning one of the baby wrens -perched for a little while on a window sill, but Father -Wren coaxed him back to the roof. I put several -more plants out on the roof in order that the fledglings -might exercise their wings and strengthen them -for the long flight they would have to make to the -nearest tree. After a while they did fly from plant -to plant. In this way they spent the rest of the day -and they liked it so well that they stayed another -day, and perhaps longer.</p> -<p>I was absent from home a few days. On my return -the apartment house was empty of baby birds; -so also was the small house in the pear tree. The -wrens were pulling out the feathers and grasses of the -first nestings, and getting ready to nest again. One -pair had already begun nesting in an unoccupied -apartment. Can anyone imagine the hustle and -bustle of those busy wrens, cleaning house and -nesting at the same time, and the joy with which -they did it?</p> -<p>The one-room house in the pear tree was so made -that the front could be raised after turning a small -screw-eye on the side. This made cleaning it easy.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_43">43</div> -<p>Now, aside from furnishing their rooms all over -again, these wrens had their babies to care for. But -they seemed the happier the more work they had to -do. They were just bubbling over with happiness -all the time; and they made everyone about them -happy, too.</p> -<p>I should think everybody would put out wren -houses and get these jolly little fellows to live near -them. Wrens are not particular whether they live -on a porch, in a city yard, or on a farm. They are -just as happy in one place as another, as long as they -have a safe little home; and they will rid a place -of bugs and flies and other unpleasant things.</p> -<p>So cheery was that summer with those wrens around -me, that I hope always to have them as my -neighbors.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig23"> -<img src="images/p2043.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="524" /> -<p class="pcap">A BABY WREN ON THE WINDOW SILL</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_44">44</div> -<div class="img" id="fig24"> -<img src="images/p2044.jpg" alt="" width="699" height="700" /> -<p class="pcap">BLUEBIRDS ARE GREAT HELPERS IN A GARDEN (<i>See <a href="#Page_33">page 33</a></i>)</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c7"><span class="small">VI</span> -<br />THE BOY</h2> -<p>One day in early April I was in the ravine getting -hepaticas. Before I knew it I was near the boy’s -house again. His mother called to me from her -garden.</p> -<p>“The boy is at home now,” she said; “maybe you -would like to see him at work.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_45">45</div> -<p>I thanked her, and went with her to the little shop. -There beside his work bench stood a boy about -twelve or thirteen years old. He was painting the -wren house a dark green. The bluebird house was -finished, ready to put up.</p> -<p>I told him I had put up my bird houses long ago, -and that the bluebirds had been house hunting for -some weeks. He said that there were so many -English sparrows around his place that he feared -they would nest in his houses if he put them out -early. But he had just learned of a way to keep the -sparrows from nesting in bluebird houses. He said -his manual training teacher had advised him to -mount his houses for wrens and bluebirds only -about eight feet from the ground, since the English -sparrows seldom nest lower than ten feet from the -ground, and will not be likely to take a house that -is lower.</p> -<p>The boy put up the bluebird house while I was -there, on a young maple that afforded plenty of -shade. His bluebirds were house hunting too, and -visited the house right away.</p> -<p>I told him about the tin sheeting to keep cats and -squirrels down. He said he had been using tangle-foot, -the sticky stuff that is sometimes put on trees -to keep bugs down. But he said that cats and -squirrels didn’t mind climbing over it, and he was -going to try the tin.</p> -<p>I fear that the boy was not wise in delaying so -<span class="pb" id="Page_46">46</span> -long to put up his bird houses. When I saw him -again, in mid-April, he said that one pair of bluebirds -had nested in a house that he had intended for -chickadees; that another pair were in an old hollow -tree; and that a pair of wrens were visiting the new -bluebird house.</p> -<p>Two of his other houses were for woodpeckers, and -a beautiful new one for purple martins already had -some tenants.</p> -<p>“It is two years now that the first martin house -has been up, and yet I have never had any martins -to stay!” said the boy. “They would come, go into -the house and twitter, and then fly away.”</p> -<p>He began talking again about his manual training -teacher: how she called one day, and told him that -the martin house was mounted too low, and too -near trees; that martins want to be fifty feet away -from a tree or building, and sixteen feet up from the -ground; also, that it pleases martins to have openings -near the ceiling of their rooms so they can have -a change of air.</p> -<p>I remarked that this ventilation would make their -rooms more comfortable.</p> -<p>“Yes,” said the boy; “and this new martin house -is made according to teacher’s directions.”</p> -<p>As we stood there, martins were flying about, -twittering, singing, perching on the telephone wires -near by and on the roof and the porches of their -house. The pole had hinges so that the house could -<span class="pb" id="Page_47">47</span> -be brought down and cleaned, when necessary, or -closed.</p> -<p>One lovely June day found me again at the boy’s -home. I remarked the large number of young robins -on the lawn.</p> -<p>“The young have just left their nests in that -tree,” answered the boy, pointing into a big cherry -tree. “Robins have nested in that tree every year -since I can remember.”</p> -<p>I guessed that perhaps the cherries were the attraction.</p> -<p>“Well,” he said, “we think birds earn all the -cherries they eat; we never pick those on the top -branches at all, but leave them for the birds.”</p> -<p>During that visit the boy showed me several bird -homes. First he apologized for doing it. “Every -bird home is a secret between mother and me,” he -said; then added, “but I know I can trust you.”</p> -<p>One of these little homes belonged to bluebirds. -The others belonged to the flicker, the wood thrush, -and the killdeer.</p> -<p>We walked slowly and talked low, as we went -from one place to another. Loud talk and running -frighten birds. And to go very near to a bird nest -is harmful because, every time the mother is frightened -away, the eggs or young are liable to get chilled -if the weather is cool. If hot, and the nest is exposed -to the sun, the eggs or young are liable to get -overheated.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_48">48</div> -<p>The boy told me of a marsh hawk’s nest which a -gentleman came to photograph. He said that this -gentleman brought a lad along to hold his hat over -the young to shield them from the sun, during the -mother’s absence. The two were there only about -ten minutes. But evidently that boy told other boys; -for soon the nest was being visited at all times of -day. At every visit, the mother flew away, and in a -few days all the young were dead.</p> -<p>I remarked that photographing nests should be -done with the greatest care; that if any screening -foliage was pushed aside, it should be replaced, and -the nest left just as the mother bird had planned it. -It is indeed fortunate that bird photography is so -difficult that only few people attempt it. Exposing -a nest to the camera is very apt to result in disaster -unless it is done by one who has the highest interests -of birds at heart.</p> -<p>The flickers had their home in a stump of a tree. -The entrance was so low I had to stoop in order to -look in; but the nest was down deep, out of sight. -Whenever Father or Mother Flicker came with food -they called softly, “Ye quit! ye quit!” Then the -babies could be heard making a hissing sound. -Sometimes when the parents were gone longer than -usual, a baby flicker could be seen taking a peep at -the outside world.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_49">49</div> -<div class="img" id="fig25"> -<img src="images/p2049.jpg" alt="" width="697" height="900" /> -<p class="pcap">BABY FLICKER PEEPS AT THE OUTSIDE WORLD</p> -</div> -<p>One day during the previous spring while walking -along the ravine I had seen three of these large brown -birds, and had learned their name from hearing them -sing, “Flicka flicka flicka.” It is easy to get acquainted -<span class="pb" id="Page_50">50</span> -with birds who are named after their song. -One of these birds on that spring day was constantly -spreading his wings and his tail before the others, -as if he wanted to show the beautiful yellow -feathers underneath. Because of these yellow feathers -the flicker is also called golden-winged woodpecker. -Nearly all birds have a scolding word. When the -flicker wants to scold he says, “Queer,” as plainly as -a person can say it.</p> -<p>Of course, we never went near enough to any bird’s -nest to frighten the brooding birds, nor did we stay -long enough to keep the parents from feeding their -young. We always found a convenient place fifty -feet or more away, and through our field glasses -watched the birds without annoying them.</p> -<p>I had long known the wood thrush by his yodeling -song. It usually came out of the thickets and tangles -in the ravine back of our place, so the singer could -not easily be seen. At sunrise and sunset, the music -of the thrushes, singing and answering one another, -was like bells calling to prayer. From early May -until mid-July I always wanted to be out mornings -and evenings to attend the matins and the vespers -of the wood thrushes.</p> -<p>Mrs. Wood Thrush tried hard to hide her nest; it -was completely surrounded by thornbushes. “Wit-a-wit-a-wit,” -said her mate as we went near; then -he came out of his hiding place. He had a brown -back and a white and brown speckled front just like -<span class="pb" id="Page_51">51</span> -Mrs. Wood Thrush, who sat serene on her nest all -this time. She was trusting in something to protect -her fully; whether it was her brave companion, -or those bushes bristling with thorns that surrounded -her nest, I do not know. Maybe she thought we -didn’t see her at all. We pretended not to see her.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig26"> -<img src="images/p2051.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="654" /> -<p class="pcap">MRS. WOOD THRUSH ON HER NEST</p> -</div> -<p>Always, when I find a nest, I turn away and try -to keep the birds from knowing they have been discovered. -I look out of the corners of my eyes, and -go away humming a tune. After a while I return -and walk near by, again singing the same tune. -<span class="pb" id="Page_52">52</span> -I do this as many times as I can during a day or -two. Before long the birds seem to know that the -person who comes singing that tune has never harmed -them. They remain quiet when I am near, and this -affords opportunity to observe them more closely.</p> -<p>Some bluejays were flitting about. Bluejays are -everywhere, and at all times of the year. The bluejay -is that big blue and white bird with handsome -crest. In early spring he sings some pleasing notes, -but in autumn and winter he is just noisy. Now he -was very still. I could just see Mrs. Bluejay’s head -between two branches of a poplar tree. She had a -nest there, for there were tell-tale twigs hanging over -on both sides. Mr. Bluejay did not want anybody to -find her, nor the nest. This was why he kept so still.</p> -<p>The boy had scattered some peanuts on a bald spot -in the yard. I asked why he did this during the -summer time.</p> -<p>“It keeps the chickadees and woodpeckers coming -here all summer,” said he.</p> -<p>As we sat there a bluejay came for a peanut and -went under a tree with it. There he punched a hole -in the ground with his bill and poked in the nut. -Then he went to a currant bush and got a leaf. -Returning to the spot where he had buried the peanut, -he patted the leaf neatly over it.</p> -<p>A brown and white bird about as big as a robin -flew overhead singing, “Killdeer killdeer” as loud and -as fast as he could.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_53">53</div> -<div class="img" id="fig27"> -<img src="images/p2053.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="622" /> -<p class="pcap">A KILLDEER’S NEST IN A POTATO FIELD</p> -</div> -<p>“There goes a killdeer,” said the boy.</p> -<p>So the killdeer is another bird that is named after -his song! How easy it would be to know birds if all -were named after their song, like the chickadees and -the killdeers and the flickers, or after their colors, -like the bluebirds, or after their actions, like the -woodpeckers!</p> -<p>The boy’s father had found a killdeer’s nest in a -potato field when he was plowing. We went to see -that, too. It was in a patch of ground overgrown -with weeds because the man had kindly plowed -around it. Mother Killdeer sat dutifully on the nest -while Father Killdeer guarded the premises and told -<span class="pb" id="Page_54">54</span> -us by his various shrieks and somersaults that he -wished we would not go near enough to disturb -her.</p> -<p>On the farm that day I saw the golden-throated -meadowlark. He is another yodeler. His favorite -tune is:</p> -<p class="center">“Le-<sub class="l1">o-</sub> <span class="hst"><sup class="l1">lee-</sup>o-<sub class="l1">loo”</sub></span></p> -<p>His songs ring so clear and flute-like that I can hear -him away over at our place. He is a brown bob-tailed -bird. Over a beautiful yellow front he has a -black band, pointing down in the middle, V-shaped. -A large company of these birds were in the meadow, -happy as larks; so they are well named meadowlarks.</p> -<p>But think of a dear little bird and such a sweet -singer as the song sparrow, bearing the same name as -the odious English sparrow! It seems unjust, and -in this the boy agreed with me. We got to talking -about the song sparrow because one was on a fence -post near by, singing over and over this lively ditty:</p> -<p class="center">“Twee twee twee<sup class="l1">/</sup><sup class="l2">twe-e</sup><sup class="l1">\twe-e</sup>\<sub class="l1">\</sub><sub class="l1">je</sub>je<sup class="l1">je</sup><sup class="l2">je</sup><sup class="l1">je</sup>je<sub class="l1">je</sub>je<sup class="l1">je</sup> jay.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_55">55</div> -<div class="img" id="fig28"> -<img src="images/p2055.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="707" /> -<p class="pcap">THE BLUEBIRDS IN THEIR PRIMITIVE HOME</p> -</div> -<p>The bluebirds’ home that the boy had mentioned -at the beginning of my visit was in a hole of an apple -tree. By standing on tiptoe I could look in and see -four light-blue eggs lying on a nest of grasses that -looked like a cunning little basket. It was a hot day, -too hot for Mother Bluebird to stay in that hollow -tree all the time. She was out playing tag with -Mr. Bluebird. Perhaps she thought the hot air -would keep her eggs warm. After she went in again -he visited her often with food. Before going after -<span class="pb" id="Page_56">56</span> -more he usually perched on a little knob just above -the entrance and sang. Sometimes she came out on -the ledge to listen. It was a winsome sight to see -the bluebirds in their primitive home.</p> -<p>This was the bluebirds’ second nesting on the farm. -Their first one had been destroyed by the English -sparrows. The boy said he had tried in every way -to help the bluebirds, and that, whenever he saw any -sparrows near, he gave a sharp whistle—his confidential -whistle, he called it—and that Mrs. Bluebird -got so she understood what it meant; that as -soon as she heard it she would come up on the ledge -and call, “Dear, dear-dear.” Immediately Mr. Bluebird -would appear and drive the intruders away.</p> -<p>These bluebirds were also annoyed by a red squirrel -who climbed the trees in the orchard and peered -into the nest holes. Mr. Bluebird dashed for him -whenever he saw him, especially if he found him -near the home tree. Sometimes both the bluebirds -chased the red squirrel, who would run off barking -like a little dog.</p> -<p>The boy had seen how I put out strings and cotton -and chicken feathers, for the birds’ nestings, and he -had fixed up a “store”—as he called it—on a tree, -where they could “buy without money.” Every -little while a goldfinch came and got some string. -Always on coming he sang out, “Perchikatee,” as if -to say, “By your leave.” Downy woodpeckers, -chickadees, and nuthatches were there at this time of -<span class="pb" id="Page_57">57</span> -the year, although ordinarily they are seen only in -winter and early spring.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig29"> -<img src="images/p2057.jpg" alt="" width="730" height="800" /> -<p class="pcap">EVERY LITTLE WHILE A GOLDFINCH CAME TO -THE “STORE” TREE AND GOT SOME STRING</p> -</div> -<p>The boy said it was the ravine, with its trees and -thickets and tangles, that attracted so many birds. -He was always praising that ravine. He thought -so much of it that he had asked the neighbors not to -throw rubbish down there, and not to disturb the -underbrush, which shelters so many birds. He had -also asked them please to keep their cats indoors at -<span class="pb" id="Page_58">58</span> -night, because so many birds had nests and helpless -little ones on the ground, or in low bushes.</p> -<p>“Mother put me up to that,” he said; and added, -“we are trying to keep that ravine as a sanctuary -for birds, where they and their little ones can be -safe.”</p> -<p>Another thing that attracted birds to that place -was a mulberry tree. Though only two years old, -it was bearing fruit and was visited by robins, orioles, -thrashers, and redheaded woodpeckers.</p> -<p>The boy had so many kinds of birds never seen -near our place that I began to wish I, too, could live -on a farm and have so many more of these charming -neighbors.</p> -<p>A storm came up. Soon the shallow places in a -cornfield near by were turned into puddles. The -baby martins that had been lounging on the porch -went inside. The old ones came flying home in a -hurry. We went to the garden house, which the -boy had fitted up as a workshop because he didn’t -like to deprive his mother any longer of her little -storeroom. When it stopped raining the sun came -out and the clean earth fairly glistened. A flock of -robins came to hunt for worms in the drenched field. -Some bathed in the puddles. It was amusing to -watch them chase one away if he stayed in long.</p> -<p>As we were enjoying the robins, the boy’s mother -called out: “Come here, you bird people, and see -what has happened.” She took us to the living room -<span class="pb" id="Page_59">59</span> -and told us to listen at the chimney. A rasping -twitter came from within.</p> -<p>“It must be those chimney swallows,” guessed the -boy.</p> -<p>He stepped upon a chair and took off the chimney -cap. There, scrambling around in soot, were some -black looking birds.</p> -<p>“One, two, three, four,” he counted, as he reached -in and handed them out on a newspaper.</p> -<p>Three were young birds, and one was an adult -bird with long wings. Their nest was also there. -The heavy rain had loosened it and made it fall.</p> -<p>The little ones screeched in chorus, and tried constantly -to get hold of something with their claws. -The older bird gave no sound at all. She seemed to -be hurt. We called her the mother.</p> -<p>The lady looked at their little nest. Then she -went and fetched a basket, and, as soon as the birds -were removed to it, they began to clamber up the -sides. When they got to the top, where they could -hang at full length, they stopped their screeching. -Only now and then they still gave a rasping sound. -Perhaps they were hungry, and scolded because -nobody brought them any food. Some crossed over -the rim of the basket and tried the other side.</p> -<p>I stayed there the rest of the afternoon. Every -ten or fifteen minutes the little birds gave a call, -like, “Gitse gitse.” Thinking that they must be -almost choked with the soot, I tried to give them -<span class="pb" id="Page_60">60</span> -water, but they would not open their bills. I forced -them open with a manicure stick, and gave them a -drop at a time. They swallowed it when it was -dropped far down in their throats; otherwise they -would jerk their heads and throw it out.</p> -<p>I also moistened a cracker with some egg yolk, -and mixed into it about fifty flies out of the flytrap; -then tried to feed the birds with the little stick. By -prying up their upper mandible I got some flies down -each bird’s throat. The lower mandible was very -soft and would not bear handling.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig30"> -<img src="images/p2060.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="652" /> -<p class="pcap">THE CHIMNEY SWIFTS’ TEMPORARY HOME</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_61">61</div> -<p>I became so attached to these birds, I hated to -leave them, but the time came for me to go home. -The boy and his mother seemed distressed at the -prospect of having birds as boarders. There was -canning to do, besides cooking for extra farm hands; -and Laddie had to help his father with the haying,—so -his mother said.</p> -<p>I offered to take the birds and do the best I could -with them, if the lad was willing. He was; so I took -the birds and the nest with me in the little basket, -which was their temporary home.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig31"> -<img src="images/p2061.jpg" alt="" width="631" height="800" /> -<p class="pcap">THE FLICKER IS ALSO CALLED GOLDEN-WINGED -WOODPECKER</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_62">62</div> -<div class="img" id="fig32"> -<img src="images/p2062.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="606" /> -<p class="pcap">CHIMNEY SWIFTS’ NEST</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c8"><span class="small">VII</span> -<br />THE CHIMNEY SWIFTS</h2> -<p>The correct name of these birds whose home life -was so rudely broken up is chimney swift. According -to the bird books, they have been known to fly a -thousand miles in a day, and they live in chimneys. -Could any name fit them better? Chimney swifts -are sometimes called swallows, probably because they -resemble them somewhat, and twitter like swallows. -But they are not swallows at all.</p> -<p>I thought if the birds could have their nest near -them, it would seem more like home to them. It -was a tiny nest, a bracket made of twigs which were -woven together basket fashion and tightly glued. I -have preserved it as an art treasure. On each side -is a flat, gluey extension. Wetting this extension -made it sticky; but it would not stick to the rough -<span class="pb" id="Page_63">63</span> -surface of the small basket. I laid it on the smooth -surface inside a peach basket and put weights on it. -When it became dry, the nest was stuck fast.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig33"> -<img src="images/p2063.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="619" /> -<p class="pcap">ONE OF THESE SWIFT BABIES WAS PUT TO REST IN THE -NEST, BUT HE DID NOT STAY THERE LONG</p> -</div> -<p>Then I transferred the swifts from the small basket, -which had been their temporary home, to the peach -basket. They perched around the nest. One of these -babies was put to rest in the nest, but he did not -stay there long. They all clambered up to the edge -and from time to time they changed places, sometimes -crossing over the edge of the basket from one side to -the other.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_64">64</div> -<p>It was fortunate that this happened during my -vacation, because the care of a baby bird demands -much time. He has to be fed regularly and often. -Having several birds to feed is about enough to take -up all one’s time.</p> -<p>If they only had opened their bills when they were -hungry, it would have been much easier to feed these -swifts. Their very short but wide bills had to be -pried open every time and the food poked down their -throats. I tried to feed them every fifteen or twenty -minutes. It took so long to feed each one, that -usually, by the time I had finished with number -four, it was necessary to begin feeding number one -again.</p> -<p>The food I gave them was bread soaked in warm -milk, with plenty of flies mixed in. For a change I -mixed the bread with a raw yolk. I gave them warm -water occasionally. It seemed to me they needed it -after having come through that mass of soot.</p> -<p>At the end of the first day the young were as -chipper and bright as any young birds. Instead of -screeching they began to twitter, “Gitse gitse.” The -mother was very still. She did not seem to care for -her babies at all, and did not go near to keep them -warm. She just hung in the one position. Several -times she tried to fly, but she could only fly a few -feet; then she fell to the floor.</p> -<p>During the second day the young seemed to be -doing well. They preened themselves, and their -<span class="pb" id="Page_65">65</span> -blackish breasts were changed to gray. It was a -cool day, and I set the basket where the sun would -shine on the birds. They fluffed their feathers as if -they enjoyed the warmth. Once in a while one -tried to fly, but he always fluttered to the ground -and had to be brought back. The mother tried her -wings again and again. She got so she could fly a little -farther at every attempt, before she went to the -ground. At about five o’clock she flew far enough -to get out of sight.</p> -<p>All the next day I kept the peach basket with -these swifts in it outdoors, hoping the mother would -return and feed them. But she did not return.</p> -<p>On the following day these birds began to look -feeble. I went to the telephone and called up a -gentleman<a class="fn" id="fr_1" href="#fn_1">[1]</a> who is an authority on birds, and asked -him what I should do. He said the main thing was -to keep the birds evenly warm; that more young -birds die from chill than from hunger. To revive -them he said I should put a few drops of whiskey in -a glass of water and give them each a few drops; -then I should try to get them some gnats, or a -grub from the garden, mince it well, and feed it to -them. Flies, he said, had not much nourishment in -them.</p> -<p>On returning I found that two of the little birds -had died. I determined to try hard to save the remaining -one. It was impossible to get whiskey -<span class="pb" id="Page_66">66</span> -because I live in a temperance town. I gave the -little bird a weak solution of baking soda because -he had a big lump in his craw. Then I wrapped him -in a silken scarf, and warmed him beside the cook -stove as I have seen baby chicks revived when they -have been chilled by a sudden rain. The lump disappeared. -He brightened up. I could find no grubs; -but a few grasshoppers, some ant larvæ, and several -juicy green cabbage worms were food enough for -the rest of that day. I kept the bird in his wrappings -all day, but fixed it so he could clamber on to -the basket. At night I put him away warm and snug, -and seemingly happy. The first sound I heard the -next morning was “Gitse gitse.”</p> -<p>The little bird was ready for a meal. From an ant -hill near by I got more ant larvæ, something which -all young birds like. For the first time now he -swallowed food just as soon as it got inside his bill. -Up to this time he had jerked it out unless it was -poked down. But he still refused to open his bill.</p> -<p>He did not care for the nest and never would stay -on it. So I fixed him again in the little basket -where he would be more snug. I had lined it with -cotton batting and woolen cloth so his breast would -be against a soft, warm surface. I also kept him at -an even temperature, and fed him regularly. The -little basket was on my work table. He seemed to -enjoy being near me and being talked to. Sometimes -he flew over on my shoulder. I fed him more cabbage -<span class="pb" id="Page_67">67</span> -worms and grasshoppers, and also gave him water -occasionally.</p> -<p>I could not forgive myself to think I hadn’t asked -for advice sooner. I felt sure that, had I done so the -first day I took charge of these birds, and then followed -instructions, the two would not have died.</p> -<p>Again at the close of the day Baby Swift was put -away in his warm wrappings. In the morning I did -not hear the usual, “Gitse gitse.” Baby Swift had -gone to the bird heaven.</p> -<p>It had been a big undertaking to adopt those -homeless birds; but I am glad for several reasons -that I did it.</p> -<p><i>First</i>, I am glad that I helped them in their trouble.</p> -<p><i>Second</i>, I am glad I relieved the boy and his busy -mother of caring for them.</p> -<p><i>Third</i>, I am glad because I have since read in the -bird books that the chimney swift is a very useful -bird; that he feeds wholly on troublesome insects.</p> -<p><i>Fourth</i>, I am glad because it gave me opportunity -to get acquainted with one more bird. I consider -that something worth while.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_68">68</div> -<div class="img" id="fig34"> -<img src="images/p2068.jpg" alt="" width="615" height="900" /> -<p class="pcap">A ROBIN’S NEST</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c9"><span class="small">VIII</span> -<br />BIRDS NOT OF A FEATHER</h2> -<p>One day, on looking up into a tree in the vacant -lot, what should I see there? A mother robin just -dropping a worm into her baby’s open beak.</p> -<p>The nest was right in the crotch where the trunk -<span class="pb" id="Page_69">69</span> -forks into two main branches. So many robins’ -nests are blown off the branches by the wind, or -washed off by heavy rains, that I was glad to see -this nest firmly saddled on that strong trunk. But -a second thought told me that it was easy for cats -and squirrels to get at, so I studied how to make it -safe.</p> -<p>All the tin sheeting had been used up; but I knew -where there was some old stove pipe. A kind -neighbor ripped it open. One piece was not wide -enough to go around the tree, so I had to use two. -Mrs. Cotton, who had again become my neighbor, -having built a bungalow on one of the vacant lots, -came to help me. She said it wasn’t good for the -tree to drive nails into it, and fetched some wire. -Meanwhile, I got the stepladder; for the sheeting must -be high enough so that cats and squirrels cannot -jump from the ground to the trunk above it. We -used only two small nails, to keep the wires from -slipping.</p> -<p>Of course, the robins scolded while we were doing -this. They never liked to have anybody near their -tree.</p> -<p>After a week the young ones were sitting on the -edge of the nest. I knew then that they would soon -leave it, and I began to keep a close watch on them, -and on the cats of the neighborhood.</p> -<p>If all cats belonged to people, and had to be kept -on their own premises, little birds would be much -<span class="pb" id="Page_70">70</span> -safer. As it is, cats may roam wherever they please. -They can crouch in tall grasses, flower beds, shrubs, -and other places, ready to pounce on any bird that -comes near enough. Homeless cats who have to -hunt their living are the greatest menace to birds, -especially to young birds who are not yet wise to -the dangers that surround them. Now who is to -blame? Surely not the cats. Instead of continually -berating the cats, let the friends of birds secure laws -to license cats, to compel people to keep their cats -on their own premises, to punish people for putting -cats astray, and to put homeless cats out of their -misery.</p> -<p>One June day, while walking along the ravine, -I saw three robins on the ground. I went to the -tree to see if the young had all left the nest, and -found that one was still there. He looked down, as -if he would like to go to join his brothers; but he -seemed to be afraid to leave the safe little home. -The parents brought food to him and also to those -on the ground. Whenever the parents went to the -one on the nest, they urged him to come over to -some of the near branches; but he stayed on the nest -as if glued to it. Finally, one of the parents got behind -him and just politely pushed him off. He spread -his wings to fly, but fluttered to the ground. Instead -of continuing my walk that morning I stayed with -the robins. About a hundred feet away I could see -them well with my field glasses. My neighbor, -<span class="pb" id="Page_71">71</span> -Mrs. Cotton, was just as much interested in these -birds as I was. They could not fly well yet. Between -us we saw to it that no harm befell them that -day.</p> -<p>Towards evening the robins also sought the protection -of those bristly thornapple bushes. One by -one they coaxed the young in that direction.</p> -<p>During that night a great storm came up of lightning -and thunder and rain. I was sorry for the young -robins, but had no doubt that their parents shielded -them. I have seen a mother bird sit faithfully on -the nest when the rain was pelting her mercilessly. -Mother love knows no discomforts.</p> -<p>I think all birds enjoy a good shower; they always -sing joyously as soon as it clears again, and sometimes -while it is still raining. Some also enjoy a shower -bath. Sometimes they finish it with a ducking in -the basin. Those that do not care for the shower -usually know where to find a comfortable place during -a heavy downpour. On such occasions, I have seen -them take refuge in trees, close to the trunk where it -is steady and where the foliage is dense over them. -And I have seen them go for shelter under rail fences, -such as there are in the country, where the rails are -broad enough to protect a little bird. I have also -seen birds come out from under a corn-crib after a -rain, so I presume they had gone under it for shelter.</p> -<p>After the robins had left their nest I took the -sheeting off the tree. It is said that the bark of a -<span class="pb" id="Page_72">72</span> -tree is its lungs through which it breathes. I want -all the trees around me to breathe deeply of the -precious air, so I try always to save the bark. It is -much easier to take off the wires than it is to take -nails out of a tree. Already some insects had made -nests and cocoons under this sheeting.</p> -<p>My way of getting acquainted with birds was by -keeping a notebook. In it I wrote everything I saw -any bird do: what he ate, how he sang, what he -looked like, where he was generally seen, etc. I -always watched a bird as long as it stayed in sight. -When it left I observed its flight and its shape. Then -I looked at the colored pictures in my bird books, to -see if I could find a bird similar to mine. If I did -find him, then I read all about him to see whether -that bird ate the kind of food, and acted, and flew, -and sang, in the way my strange bird did. If he did, -then I knew I had made the acquaintance of a new -bird.</p> -<p>For instance, I had written about one bird:</p> -<p>“Rather plump, head pointed, bill long. Head and -back olive. Front yellow. Wings dark with white -bars. Tail brown with dark marks. Is on the fence -getting strings. Also visits the basin. Never sings. -Likes bread crumbs. Nearly as large as robin.”</p> -<p>Sometimes there came with this bird a beautiful -black and orange bird. In a little pocket guide I -found both these birds pictured as mates. They -were the Baltimore orioles. She was the bird I had -<span class="pb" id="Page_73">73</span> -described in my notebook. While she was getting -strings, her mate was usually up in a tree somewhere -near, singing:</p> -<p class="center">“Hee<sub class="l1">\ho/</sub>hee, hee<sub class="l1">\ho ho/</sub>hee.”</p> -<p>It was no wonder that the orioles needed so many -strings. They made a baglike nest on the tip end of -a branch in Mrs. Cotton’s elm. The wind used to -swing that nest like a hammock. I often thought -how nice it must be for those baby orioles to be -rocked by the wind and to have such a fine musician -for their father.</p> -<p>Mrs. Cotton was keeping her cat housed during -those days. Moreover, she threw bread out on her -lawn every day for any birds that might want it. The -orioles were among the birds that went there; they -preferred graham or entire wheat bread to white bread.</p> -<p>Other birds that came to my yard were the brown -thrasher, the goldfinch, and the redheaded woodpecker. -They had their nests along the ravine.</p> -<p>The redheaded woodpeckers’ home was in a hole -of an old tree near the ravine. Their call was a -guttural “Chr-r-r,” which was pleasant to hear. Near -the nest tree was a big stone which they used as a -convenient perch. The woodpecker babies did not -have the showy red head and neck of the parents; -theirs were of a rusty color, and the white on their -wings was barred with black. During the summer, -Father Woodpecker often brought the babies to the -food station. They could help themselves pretty well -<span class="pb" id="Page_74">74</span> -to suet; but the peanuts were a puzzle to them. -They just pecked into the shell and tried to eat that. -Usually, before the babies arrived, the father came -and perched on some high point and looked all -around. If all was to his liking, he sounded his -rattling tattoo. The babies always came so promptly -that it was evident he had hidden them somewhere -near, probably with orders to await his signal before -venturing farther.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig35"> -<img src="images/p2074.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="640" /> -<p class="pcap">NEAR THE NEST TREE WAS A BIG STONE WHICH THE -REDHEADED WOODPECKER USED AS A PERCH</p> -</div> -<p>I think the brown thrasher must have had a large -family; he used to tear off pieces of bread and carry -<span class="pb" id="Page_75">75</span> -them away from the bird table. Once he carried off -a piece of cheese that kept him trailing near the -ground, it was so heavy. A blackbird followed and -tried to take it, but the thrasher got away from him.</p> -<p>A queer thing about the brown thrasher is his song. -It is made up of real words and sentences, and he -sings everything twice or more times. If you should -ever hear a big brown bird, with a long reddish tail -and speckled breast, sing, “Beverly Beverly,” “Peter -Peter,” “Tell it to me! Tell it to me!” “Come -here! Come here!” and such things, then you have -heard the brown thrasher. If you will look high -enough you can almost surely see him too, in the -top of a high tree. He loves to be seen as well as -heard.</p> -<p>Mrs. Brown Thrasher looked just like her mate. -She had hidden her nest so well that I did not find -it until it was empty. It was in a dense thicket. -I knew it was hers because she was still near. “Io-it! -io-it!” she scolded, until I went away. One little -baby thrasher was on a branch of the thicket. The -mother was guarding him.</p> -<p>The goldfinches were very late with their housekeeping. -In July they were still gathering strings -and cotton for their nesting. They are just as polite -and gentle as the chickadees. Their name fits so -well that anybody who sees these yellow birds, just -like canaries with black wings and tail, ought to -know them at once. Their song usually starts with -<span class="pb" id="Page_76">76</span> -“Sweet sweet sweet,” and the rest is a regular canary -song. They are sometimes called wild canaries.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig36"> -<img src="images/p2076.jpg" alt="" width="718" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap">EACH LITTLE GOLDFINCH CALLED AS LOUD AS HE COULD</p> -</div> -<p>The young goldfinches loved to sit on the edge of -their nest as soon as they were old enough. As they -sat there they chattered to each other, “Ze bebe, -ze bebe,” and fluttered their wings a great deal. -When I found their nest I was surprised that I -hadn’t seen it before; it was low on a buckeye.</p> -<p>When the young goldfinches left their nest it -seemed as if they wanted to get acquainted with -people. They came down on the lowest branches, -<span class="pb" id="Page_77">77</span> -and quite near the house. One alighted on the -clothesline. Whenever Father or Mother came with -food there was the greatest fluttering of wings. -Each one called, “Ze bebe ze bebe,” as loud as he -could, and opened wide his bill to catch what the -parents tossed or squirted out to him. It was no -living, squirming thing, but a pulpy mass.</p> -<p>The young were yellow in front, olive on the back, -and they had black wings with brown and white -bars. The black tail was edged with white.</p> -<p>Goldfinches like sunflower seeds. But the main -reason why they are so useful and so well liked is -that they eat large quantities of thistle seeds and -dandelion seeds.</p> -<p>When cold weather came the parent goldfinches -were no longer so beautifully yellow, for they had put -on their gray autumn coats.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig37"> -<img src="images/p2077.jpg" alt="" width="858" height="400" /> -<p class="pcap">A YOUNG GOLDFINCH ALIGHTED ON THE CLOTHESLINE</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_78">78</div> -<div class="img" id="fig38"> -<img src="images/p2078.jpg" alt="" width="773" height="900" /> -<p class="pcap">THIS MARTIN SCOUT BROUGHT A LADY WITH HIM</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c10"><span class="small">IX</span> -<br />THE MARTINS’ AIRCASTLE</h2> -<p>The purple martins like a house with many rooms, -so they can live together in a large company. Since -the martins belong to the swallow family, to call -them purple swallows would, it seems to me, be more -informing.</p> -<p>My friend who had sent me the wren apartment -<span class="pb" id="Page_79">79</span> -house was so pleased with its success that he sent -me also a martin house. It is four stories high -and has twenty-six rooms. Around each story are -porches, some of them several inches wide.</p> -<p>It pleases birds to have their houses look, before -they occupy them, as if they had been out in all -sorts of weather. So, for several weeks before this -martin house was set up, it lay out in the yard to -be rained and snowed on.</p> -<p>One cold March day a purple bird came in at my -window. He perched on picture frames, twittered a -little, and went out again. According to the bird -books, my little visitor was a purple martin. Maybe -he had seen the martin house on the lawn, and came -to ask me to put it up. Anyway, the next day it -was mounted in the farthest corner of the garden. -For, according to the directions that came with the -house, martins want their houses to be fifty feet away -from any building or tree, and on a pole at least -sixteen feet high.</p> -<p>In early April another martin came; or maybe it -was the same one, returning to see whether the house -had been put up. Martins always send one of their -number ahead to look up a house for them. He is -called a scout. This martin scout perched on the -wires nearby, and tried repeatedly to alight on one -of the porches of the martin house. But some -English sparrows were there; they also wanted that -house. Every time the scout went near, these -<span class="pb" id="Page_80">80</span> -sparrows flew at him and kept him from getting a -foothold on the house. Sometimes he managed to -perch on the roof and there wait for a chance to -get inside. But the sparrows were too many for -him. Now and then he gave a sad note, as if he -were discouraged and calling for help. Then again -it seemed as if something had encouraged him, and -he sang out clearly something like this:</p> -<p class="center">“Whew whew whew <sub class="l1">tr-r-r-r</sub> <sub class="l2">cho cho cho cho.”</sub></p> -<p>After holding out against the sparrows for three -days, he went away. About a week later I heard a -sweet and happy twitter. Several martins were -flying around the house. I had named it The -Martins’ Aircastle. By this time the English sparrows -had begun nesting in some of the rooms.</p> -<p>The martins perched on the wires in front of the -house and made a saucy chatter, calling the sparrows -all sorts of names, I suppose. The sparrows jabbered -back at them. In about an hour the martins left.</p> -<p>Early the next morning another flock of martins -came. Some perched on the wires, some on the roof, -and some on the porches of the martin house. Others -flew around in big circles. All were twittering and -calling in their happiest manner.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_81">81</div> -<div class="img" id="fig39"> -<img src="images/p2081.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="890" /> -<p class="pcap">THE MARTINS’ AIRCASTLE</p> -</div> -<p>I had driven the sparrows away the night before, -and this is how I did it: I put a few big nails into -a tin can, then closed the can and tied it to a long -stick. With this stick I banged the can against the -martin house pole again and again. It frightened -<span class="pb" id="Page_82">82</span> -the sleeping sparrows. By the moonlight I could -see six come out and fly away; but I think there were -more.</p> -<p>Two pairs of sparrows came back in the morning. -They had made their nests side by side in the third -story. Long grasses were hanging out from the entrances. -Perhaps the martins were sorry for them; -anyway, it looked as if they were willing to play -fair. They did not chase them off any more; and -the sparrows, being now so few, no longer molested -the martins.</p> -<p>The martins now began to clean house. There -were wads of chicken feathers and some broken eggs -among the rubbish which they threw out. This was -soon replaced by straws and sticks which they -brought for their own nesting. I could only count -twelve pairs of martins, so that there were plenty of -rooms for them and the sparrows too. I suppose -one reason why the sparrows were unwelcome is -because they are such untidy housekeepers as to -render close neighboring with them insanitary.</p> -<p>The more I see of martins, the better I like them. -They are always cheerful, always busy. Their shiny, -purple plumage, broad shoulders, and tapering body -give them a distinguished air. These purple birds -are the father martins. The mother martins’ back -feathers, when exposed to the sunlight, have all the -shades of violet. In front they are cream-colored, and -finely speckled.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_83">83</div> -<p>These violet-colored ones stayed around home -more than the others; this is why I took them to be -the mothers. The father martins flew around and -brought in the provisions, which they caught on -the wing. On returning a martin would sometimes -sit on the porch and sing into the room to his -mate; or she would come out to him, and the two -would coo to each other in the most affectionate -manner.</p> -<p>The martins were also friendly with all their bird -neighbors. But they were so high up that their -housekeeping was for the most part a secret which -they wanted to keep to themselves. It was hard to -tell what they had to eat, except when one caught -a dragonfly or a grasshopper. When one got a big -catch like that, he usually held it squirming in his -bill a while as if he was proud of it and wanted to -show it off. Or maybe he tried in this way to prolong -the enjoyment of it. When it began to disappear -in his bill the body always went first and the -wings last.</p> -<p>Martins are not strong on their feet. Even when -walking around on the porches of their house they -just waddled, like ducks. But at flying they are -masters. They can soar high, almost out of sight, -then shoot straight down and skim along close to the -ground.</p> -<p>Sometimes the martins visited the basin to get a -drink or to bathe. One of their favorite pastimes -<span class="pb" id="Page_84">84</span> -was to roll in the sand in our garden. When around -home they loved to perch on the wires or lounge on -the porches. They also visited a bald tree not far -off, and there preened themselves. I never saw them -visit trees that had foliage on them.</p> -<p>Some more English sparrows tried from time to -time to come back. It seemed as if they watched -for the martins to go away. Then they would come -and peer into the rooms, and even go in. The martins, -however, always left one of their number on -guard, for usually the intruders were soon chased -away.</p> -<p>Once a martin caught an English sparrow in his -room. He went in, but kept one wing outside, and -that wing flapped and fluttered just like a flag in a -high wind. No doubt the sparrow got a good beating -with the other wing. Sounds of “Kr-r-r! kr-r-r!” -came from the room. “Kr-r-r!” is the scolding -word of the martins. It sounds as if someone, -walking beside a picket fence, were scraping it with a -stick. I have often heard the martins say it to the -sparrows, but never have I heard them use it among -themselves. They are the most contented birds, -always polite and kind to one another. For good -behavior I have put them on the honor roll with the -chickadees and the goldfinches.</p> -<p>The martins are also wonderful singers and -whistlers. They sing all day long, and often after -dark. Their song is made up of three parts: a -<span class="pb" id="Page_85">85</span> -sibilant or smacking twitter, a trill, and a whistle. -To me it sounds something like this:</p> -<p class="center">“Hee<sub class="l1">\chut-chut-chut</sub>/<sup class="l1">tr-r-r-r</sup>\<sub class="l1">ho</sub>/<sup class="l1">hee</sup>\ho-ho-ho.”</p> -<p>They keep this up in a sort of conversational fashion, -and as they do so are continually changing places on -the housetop, the porches, or the wires.</p> -<p>In June the baby martins began to lounge on the -porches and to sun themselves on the wires. After -a while there were more babies. The porches were -covered with them. My! how busy those parents -were! As babies increased in numbers, evidently the -parents felt that the older ones ought to become -self-supporting; but they preferred to spend their -days preening and twittering and being waited on. -The parents pecked and scolded them, and finally -pushed them off their perches to make them go and -hunt food for themselves.</p> -<p>One day after the second batch of babies had appeared -outside, two hawks came and perched on the -telephone wires near the martin home. My attention -was attracted to them by the guttural calls or scoldings -of the martins. As they called, they flew swiftly -to and from the house, and around in big circles. -Soon the wires were lined with martins that had come -from other colonies, and the air was rent with their -guttural shriekings. Evidently they felt that these -<span class="pb" id="Page_86">86</span> -big birds were a great menace to their young. To -the credit of the English sparrows it must be said -that they also flew around with the martins, and -tried to help them call attention to the danger. The -hawks stayed about fifteen minutes, looking constantly -in all directions; for they were completely -surrounded by the vigilant and frantic martins all -that time. Then they flew into a bald tree near by, -and after looking on from there a while they flew -away. They returned a few times after that, but -never again stayed long enough to cause such a -commotion.</p> -<p>After the young were all able to fly, the whole -company was usually away most of the day. Early -in the morning when they were getting ready to go, -and at sunset time when they returned, there was -always a great demonstration, with trilling, and -twittering, and whistling, about the house and on the -wires. The home-coming of the martins was a daily -event to which not only we, but our neighbors also, -looked forward.</p> -<p>Then, as night set in, there was a steady chorus of -cooing as if each martin mother were singing a lullaby -to her numerous babies. We used to wonder how -they all existed in those rooms, six inches square by -six inches high. For no matter how hot the night, -they all went inside before midnight.</p> -<p>One evening my former neighbor, Mrs. Daily, was -present when the martins returned. She also had -<span class="pb" id="Page_87">87</span> -put up a martin house, but so far it had not been -occupied.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig40"> -<img src="images/p2087.jpg" alt="" width="811" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap"><i>Photo by Joseph H. Dodson</i> -<br />THE HOME-COMING OF THE MARTINS</p> -</div> -<p>“Your house has such wide porches, and mine -hasn’t any,” she remarked, as she watched the returning -birds sit on the porches and coo to each -other. “And,” she added, “I have been told that -my house is too near the garage.”</p> -<p>It is true that martins are not easily attracted; -but when once they have accepted a house they will -be steady summer tenants for years. When I think -what a pleasure it is to have a flock of these lovely -birds, year after year, from April to September, I -<span class="pb" id="Page_88">88</span> -wonder that any good-sized yard is without a martin -house. Martins are content to live anywhere, in -town or country. All they want is the right kind of -a house with plenty of room around it, and they like -some wires near by for perches.</p> -<p>It seems to me that a martin house, perched high -in broad sunlight, needs ventilation. But this must be -provided without causing drafts. It can be provided -by making a half-inch horizontal slit on the inner -walls just below the ceiling, something like the -ventilation in a steamer cabin. Martins will not -tolerate drafts. Then if the two topmost rooms in -the martin house are made to connect by means of a -hole two and a half inches in diameter, next to the -ceiling, this will greatly assist the visiting scout. -When English sparrows see the scout enter the house, -they will lie in wait where he entered, expecting to -molest him when he comes out. But if he can leave -at another exit and get his colony while the sparrows -still wait for him, they will have to surrender when -he returns. It is a question of numbers. This kind -of house, even though it have only six or eight rooms, -will attract martins, and promise a good beginning in -martin lore.</p> -<p>My neighbor, Mrs. Cotton, has now a martin house -also. It has ten rooms, ventilated as described above -and with the two upper rooms connecting. There being -no telephone wires near enough, a wire running over -the house on four uprights serves the same purpose.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_89">89</div> -<p>The first martin that was seen to visit this house -brought a lady martin with him. Maybe he had -been there before, alone, without being noticed. The -pair inspected the rooms, then perched on the wire -overhead and preened. Every little while Mr. -Martin twittered:</p> -<p class="center"><sup class="l2">“Chow chow chow</sup> <sup class="l1">choo</sup>choo<sub class="l1">choo</sub><sub class="l2">ho/</sub><sub class="l1">/</sub>/<sup class="l1">/hee</sup>ho<sub class="l1">ho</sub><sub class="l2">ho”</sub></p> -<p>and</p> -<p class="center"><sup class="l2">“Yo</sup> <sup class="l1">yo</sup> yo <sub class="l1">yo</sub> <sub class="l2">yo.”</sub></p> -<p>This pair took possession of the upper east room. -The next day four more martins came. One pair -took a lower east room, the other took the south -room. It looked as though the wire on top and the -ventilation pleased them. I was overjoyed that this -house, which I had designed, proved satisfactory to -these notional birds.</p> -<p>The dimensions of the rooms in this house are six -inches square by seven inches high. The diameter of -the entrances is two and a half inches; the width of -porch five inches. The pole extends through the -<span class="pb" id="Page_90">90</span> -center of the house and is screwed to the roof. The -rest of this house is held in place by means of a bolt -underneath, which can be taken out and the house—without -its roof—let down to be cleaned.<a class="fn" id="fr_2" href="#fn_2">[2]</a></p> -<p>Now listen to the good that martins do: A martin -will eat mosquitoes by the thousand every day, besides -many insects that injure fruit trees and spoil -the fruit. To protect their young, martins will drive -away hawks and other big birds that come near. In -this way they also protect any poultry yard near by. -On moonlight nights they hunt the moths and millers -until midnight.</p> -<p>In late August the martins began to assemble in -ever increasing numbers, getting ready for the journey -to their winter home, which is said to be in Central -and South America.</p> -<p>During one of the days while those gatherings were -going on, the boy was here. The martins had, by this -time, become so confiding that we could go clear up -to the pole on which their house was mounted,—and -they would stay on the wires and look down at us! -I told the boy how I had driven the sparrows away -from the martin house, and showed him the stick with -the can tied to it. He tried it on the nearest telephone -pole, and instantly the martins flew from -the wires. It looked like a great gathering in midair.</p> -<p>The father martins were much darker at this time -<span class="pb" id="Page_91">91</span> -than in the Spring,—in fact, almost black. Mother’s -pretty violet hues had faded to gray. Baby Martin -was brownish-gray on the back, and light in front.</p> -<p>One day the whole colony departed, a jolly company, -leaving us sad indeed, but hopeful that they would -return with the Spring flowers.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig41"> -<img src="images/p2091.jpg" alt="" width="800" height="663" /> -<p class="pcap"><span class="rinline"><i>Photo by Joseph H. Dodson</i></span> -<br />A GREAT GATHERING IN MID-AIR</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_92">92</div> -<div class="img" id="fig42"> -<img src="images/p2092.jpg" alt="" width="690" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap">A BATH FOR BIRDS AND A LUNCH BESIDE IT</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c11"><span class="small">X</span> -<br />MORE ABOUT THE BOY</h2> -<p>I am sure that the farm at the end of our street is -like home to the birds of the neighborhood, and that -that good boy is big brother to them all. He always -has a bath for the birds set out on a table, and a -lunch beside it.</p> -<p>“You would be surprised to see how well the birds -like oatmeal mush and other cereals,” said he, the -last time I was there. “Just watch that song sparrow!”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_93">93</div> -<p>The little brown bird was feeding on a shredded -wheat biscuit. She stayed long enough to eat a -hearty meal; then took away as much as she could -carry in her bill. While I sat there she returned -several times for more.</p> -<p>We were out in the boy’s workshop. He had just -finished making what he called a food house. It was -a tray roofed over, “to keep out the rain and snow,” -he said.</p> -<p>I remarked that it was early (it was in July) to -talk about snow.</p> -<p>“Oh,” said he, “this is one of my vacation jobs. -After school begins I won’t have time for these things. -I’ll be a freshman in High, you know.”</p> -<p>The tray was about a foot long and not quite so -wide. On each side there was a wire pocket to hold -suet. Four neat, round sticks supported the roof, -which he said was made out of the sides of a soap -box.</p> -<p>I asked where he got those fine round sticks and -that pretty tray. He said the sticks were scraps -from his uncle’s cabinet shop, and that he got the -tray from the grocer. The name “Neufchâtel” was -printed on the sides of the tray in big letters.</p> -<p>I said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if all the Neufchâtel -cheese boxes were made into food trays for birds?”</p> -<p>“Yes,” he answered, “I know that our grocer -would rather give his boxes away for some useful -purpose than to burn them.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_94">94</div> -<p>I admired the little food house so much that the -boy gave me some sticks so that I could make one, -too.</p> -<p>Then he told me of a pair of cedar waxwings that -had nested in the orchard, and a pair of crested -flycatchers in a woodpecker’s house. I was very -curious to see the waxwings, so we went to them first. -The nest was about ten feet up in an apple tree. -With our field glasses we could see it quite plainly -from under the nearest tree. Mrs. Waxwing was -sitting up there; we could just see her head and her -tail. Mr. Waxwing visited her every few minutes -with some food. They were the quietest birds I -have ever seen. What they did say or sing was in -very soft tones, as if they were telling each other -secrets. I hummed parts of the little song occasionally. -When I explained to the boy why I did so, -he smiled, and looked as if he didn’t quite believe -me.</p> -<p>We went from the waxwings to the flycatchers. -They lived in what the boy called a Berlepsch house. -That means it was designed by a man named Berlepsch -who was a great friend of birds. The boy -said his uncle in New York had sent him the house -as a birthday present. What could be a nicer gift -for a boy than a bird house? It would make him -want to get birds in it, of course. And I can think -of nothing that would make a boy happier than to -have bird neighbors.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_95">95</div> -<div class="img" id="fig43"> -<img src="images/p2095.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="764" /> -<p class="pcap">THE CRESTED FLYCATCHER AND A BERLEPSCH HOUSE</p> -</div> -<p>The Berlepsch house was made so one could raise -the top, lid-fashion, and clean it when necessary. It -was mounted about twelve feet high on a brook -<span class="pb" id="Page_96">96</span> -willow that stood aslant in the ravine; and it had -been intended for woodpeckers. The crested flycatchers -are brown birds with gray upper breast and -yellow below. Their headfeathers are always ruffed, -which gives the appearance of a crest.</p> -<p>The flycatchers were flying back and forth continually -with all sorts of prey. The brown bugs called -“Canadian soldiers” were numerous that day and were -easy to catch. These parent birds evidently had a -large family, judging from the amount of food they -delivered.</p> -<p>Mr. Flycatcher had a loud, explosive whistle. It -sounded as if he were saying:</p> -<p class="center">“Wha-<sup class="l1">a-</sup><sup class="l2">at?”</sup></p> -<p>The young could be heard giving the same whistle, -but much more softly, and somewhat long drawn -out:</p> -<p class="center"><sub class="l1">“Wha-</sub>a-<sup class="l1">a-</sup><sup class="l2">at?”</sup></p> -<p>After our visit with the flycatchers we returned to -the waxwings. Waxwings are brown and about the -size of bluebirds. On the back of the head they have -a tuft. A black line extends across the bill, and -<span class="pb" id="Page_97">97</span> -around the side of the head. The front is yellowish-gray -and the tail edged with yellow. The name, -waxwing, is due to a shiny red patch on their -wings. The fact that these waxwings are very fond -of cedar berries must be what has given them also -the name of cedar bird. The nest was made of twigs, -strings, and various kinds of fiber. The boy said -that a few weeks ago he had cut his dog’s hair and -left it lying on the lawn: that these waxwings then -came and carried every bit of it to their nest.</p> -<p>While near the birds I hummed the bird song -again, to let them know that the same persons were -there that had visited them before. The mother -bird was looking straight at us and sitting perfectly -still all the while. The boy said he believed the song -did help to keep her quiet.</p> -<p>On a cornice of the front porch a phœbe had made -two nests, one last year and one this. Both nests -were now empty. I said I hoped that a phœbe -would come to live on our porch next year.</p> -<p>“You can have this one,” answered the boy; and -added, “I have to wash off the porch every day -while Phœbe is nesting: she scatters so much -mud.”</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_98">98</div> -<div class="img" id="fig44"> -<img src="images/p2098.jpg" alt="" width="868" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap">KITTY WATCHING FOR MICE</p> -</div> -<p>As for me, I would gladly clean off our porch -several times a day if a phœbe would nest here and -sing as sweetly, “Phœbe, phœbe,” as I heard that -one sing. Sometimes I noticed a slight trill in the -second syllable of her song, like “Phœbery.” She -sang “Phœbe” with the inflection generally downward; -but when she trilled it, “Phœbery,” the inflection -was always upwards:</p> -<p class="center">“Phœ-<sup class="l1">be-</sup><sup class="l2">ry.”</sup></p> -<p class="center"><sup class="l1">“Pee-</sup>e- <sub class="l1">a-</sub> <sub class="l2">wee-</sub> <sub class="l1">e-</sub> e- <sup class="l1">e-</sup> <sup class="l2"> ee”</sup></p> -<p>came up from the ravine, clear as a strain from a -flute. On my way home I saw the pewee on a fence -picket. Every little while he flew after an insect, -<span class="pb" id="Page_99">99</span> -then back to a picket. As I walked slowly along, -he flew from picket to picket ahead of me, until I -came to where the houses on the street begin again. -Then he flew back. I think that pewee and phœbe -must be some relation, they look so nearly alike. -And both sing their own names.</p> -<p>Another bird who sings his name is Bob White, -the quail. “Bob <i>White</i>!” came ringing across the -meadow every little while. The boy could whistle it -exactly the same as the bird, and they answered each -other back and forth. Bob White was on a fence -post,—a large brown bird with a stubby tail.</p> -<p>On Thanksgiving Day I was up at the farm again, -and I saw a shelter which the boy had made for the -winter comfort of Bob White, and other birds who -wished to share it. It was tent-like, made out of -cornstalks, the inside filled with pea vines, bean vines, -morning-glory vines, and several sheaves of oats. -Kitty was watching beside the shelter,—for mice, -the boy explained!</p> -<p>The new food house was being visited by bluejays, -who nibbled at the suet. A smaller feedery on a tree -had corn in a tray and suet in a wire pocket. This -feedery was much liked by downies, and small gray -birds with white on lower front and tail—juncos. -Juncos came in flocks of a dozen or more, and twittered, -“Tut, tut, tut,” to each other and to us, in -sociable fashion. They preferred to pick up the scatterings -of chickfeed on the ground, rather than perch -<span class="pb" id="Page_100">100</span> -on the tray. Both of these food stations were protected -with tin sheeting to keep the squirrel from eating -the birds’ food. This visit at the boy’s home made -me wish more than ever that some day I, too, might -live on a farm.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig45"> -<img src="images/p2100.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="750" /> -<p class="pcap">THE NEW FOOD HOUSE WAS VISITED BY BLUEJAYS</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_101">101</div> -<p>On that Thanksgiving Day I had quite a surprise. -Some dogs came barking from the ravine. Before -them ran a rabbit just as fast as he could. They -were the dogs that had so often chased Bunny, and -this rabbit looked so much like Bunny, that I felt -sure it was he.</p> -<p>“There’s my rabbit,” said the boy, as he went to -chase the dogs away. I was glad to know that -Bunny had such a nice home, and that the boy was -a big brother to him also.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig46"> -<img src="images/p2101.jpg" alt="" width="400" height="684" /> -<p class="pcap">A FEEDERY MUCH LIKED BY DOWNY</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_102">102</div> -<div class="img" id="fig47"> -<img src="images/p2102.jpg" alt="" width="597" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap">A TREE TRIMMED WITH PEANUTS FOR THE BIRDS</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c12"><span class="small">XI</span> -<br />THE CARDINALS</h2> -<p>Having often seen cardinals feed in poultry yards -with chickens, I again started to scatter chickfeed, -hoping to attract those beautiful birds to my house. -<i>Chickfeed</i> is finer than <i>chickenfeed</i>, and I believe the -birds like it better.</p> -<p>Every winter I trimmed up an old tree with peanuts -for the birds’ Christmas, and always after a snowstorm -<span class="pb" id="Page_103">103</span> -I tramped the snow down; then scattered the -feed on it, with buckwheat and sunflower seeds added.</p> -<p>At first only nuthatches, chickadees, and juncos -came to my lunches on the snow. One stormy day -a cardinal ventured into our front yard; but he did -not go near the chickfeed. Several juncos were there, -and maybe he wanted to be generous and leave it all -to the smaller birds.</p> -<p>He kept coming nearer to the house. At last he -flew pell-mell into our porch. It seemed as if the -wind had blown him in. On a little shelf behind the -windshield he alighted and stayed.</p> -<p>After a while another bird flew to the little shelf. -I hadn’t noticed this bird before, my attention being -taken up with the cardinal. This second bird was -reddish green. In my little bird guide I had seen -pictures of the two cardinals, so I knew that she was -the red one’s mate.</p> -<p>The cardinal pecked at her when she went to his -side, and the meek little bird just clung to the shelf. -The next day I made a shelf for her just below his.</p> -<p>At dusk the cardinals returned, silently, even -stealthily, as though they thought it unwise to publish -their presence. Again he was a little ahead of -her, and he flew to the new shelf. She alighted on -the edge of the upper one. After a while she tripped -a little farther in, to a more comfortable place. When -she was settled, he went to her shelf and snuggled -down beside her. Maybe he was sorry that he had -<span class="pb" id="Page_104">104</span> -acted so selfishly the day before. I never saw him -peck at her again.</p> -<p>Every stormy day that winter the cardinals came -to our porch at evening. They became so confiding -after a week or so that he usually announced their -arrival with a few low hissing notes, something like -“Tset, tset, tset!” Sometimes he would perch on -the upper shelf, sometimes on the lower. Mrs. -Cardinal was a peace-loving bird. She always came -last, and took the empty shelf. Usually he would -change so as to sit beside her. They were always -gone in the morning, no matter how early I came out; -and when they came in the evening it was usually -dusk. So I never got a picture of my cardinals on -the shelves.</p> -<p>Mr. Cardinal finally got so he sometimes came to the -lunch on the snow; but his favorite feedery was a -tray in my neighbor’s yard, which I kept supplied -with shelled peanuts and shelled corn. The English -sparrows could not manage these large kernels, so -the cardinals had this feedery to themselves. This -may be the reason why they preferred it to the one -on the ground.</p> -<p>But the cardinals must have procured much of -their food elsewhere, for they came only about once -in three or four hours to get a dainty at the tray. -Strange to say they never came together. Always -he came first and ate a while, then sometimes she -would come, too. It seemed as if she let him come -<span class="pb" id="Page_105">105</span> -first, then, seeing that he stayed, she took it for -granted that all was well.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig48"> -<img src="images/p2105.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="601" /> -<p class="pcap">THE CARDINAL’S FAVORITE FEEDERY</p> -</div> -<p>In March the cardinals stopped sleeping on the -porch. About that time I began to hear almost -daily a new song. It sounded like,</p> -<p class="center"><sup class="l1">“D</sup> e <sub class="l1">a</sub> <sub class="l2">r gilly gilly gilly gilly!”</sub></p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_106">106</div> -<p>Immediately after it there would be a loose twitter: -“Chuk-chuk-chuk-chuk,”—so soft and low, it -seemed it must be very near. Usually it brought -another song from the cardinal, and presently he -would appear with a morsel for Mrs. Cardinal, who -had a favorite perch in our little pear tree. I soon -learned that the twitter was her response to his call. -The winsome sight of seeing him feed her repaid me -for all the money I spent for peanuts at thirteen -cents the pound.</p> -<p>The pair began now to frequent the ravine more -than usual. On its edge lay a log from which the -outer bark had been removed. Here the cardinals -were often to be seen, peeling and tearing off strips -of wood-fiber, which they bore away in long flowing -streamers.</p> -<p>One morning Mrs. Cotton came in. “Here is news -for you,” she said. “The red bird and a greenish -bird are making a nest in my syringa bush.”</p> -<p>The birds went on with their nesting for several -days. Then Mrs. Cotton came over again, looking -sad. The birds were carrying away all their nesting -material, she said. They had probably seen the cat, -had become alarmed for the safety of their home, and -so changed its location.</p> -<p>The cardinal had several songs. One was:</p> -<p class="center">“Whit whit <sup class="l2">d</sup> <sup class="l1">e</sup> a <sub class="l1">r</sub> <sup class="l2">d</sup> <sup class="l1">e</sup> a <sub class="l1">r</sub> <sup class="l2">whoit whoit whoit”</sup></p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_107">107</div> -<p>Another was just plain:</p> -<p class="center"><sub class="l2">“W</sub> <sub class="l1">h</sub> o <sup class="l1">i</sup> <sup class="l2">t</sup> <sub class="l2">w</sub> <sub class="l1">h</sub> o <sup class="l1">i</sup> <sup class="l2">t”</sup></p> -<p>sung from three to ten times in succession. Sometimes, when -Mrs. Cardinal did not respond promptly, he “chuk”-ed, -himself, in imitation of her notes.</p> -<p>In late August I found the cardinals’ deserted nest -in an evergreen on the ravine’s edge. It was made -almost entirely of this stringy wood-fiber, lined with -fine rootlets, and interwoven with many leaves.</p> -<p>I never saw but two baby cardinals of this brood. -They were brownish birds, and they had the red bill -of the parents.</p> -<p>After August I saw nothing more of their mother. -I have suspected that a boy down the street was to -blame; his favorite plaything was an air-gun, and -he had been caught shooting a brown thrasher shortly -before. It seems to me the laws protecting song-birds -ought to be taught in every school, and that -children should be obliged to know that shooting -song-birds or their young, or spoiling or stealing their -eggs or nest, is a crime punishable by fine or imprisonment, -or both.</p> -<p>Father Cardinal was seen tending the young -faithfully until October. Then he suddenly turned -on them. Whenever they followed him after that he -drove them from him. The young found peanuts -<span class="pb" id="Page_108">108</span> -which I had chopped and scattered on the ground for -them. But whenever Father found the young birds -eating these nuts, he chased them away. Once a -baby cardinal found a whole peanut. He bravely -ventured to eat it, and in the attempt got the shell -partly open. He was just picking a nut out, when -his brother tried to snatch it from him. A struggle -followed, during which the shell broke in two, and -each contestant got a kernel. In November the -young cardinals disappeared.</p> -<p>Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless -children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel. Can it -be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek -their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties -furnished? Did he want to encourage them to become -self-reliant and useful? Only on this theory -can I account for his conduct.</p> -<p>Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks -longer. Only a few times during that mild winter -did he come to sleep on our porch, and on those -occasions he came alone. Then a lady cardinal appeared, -and she followed him persistently. But he -wholly ignored her. Finally she began to carry food -to him and to feed him. Whether this be a last resort -of wooing in birddom, or not, I do not know. -Anyhow, Mr. Cardinal relented. The next thing, he -was seen to feed her whom he had treated so coolly. -This was a pretty sure sign that the two had come -to an understanding. Again the old log by the -<span class="pb" id="Page_109">109</span> -ravine was being visited for nesting material. Again -all his songs rang out, and he added a new one. It -seemed as if he were singing over and over:</p> -<p class="center">“Come <sup class="l1">here</sup> come <sup class="l1">here</sup> Come <sup class="l1">here<span class="hst"> here</span><span class="hst"> here”</span></sup></p> -<div class="img" id="fig49"> -<img src="images/p2109.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="573" /> -<p class="pcap">ALWAYS MR. CARDINAL CAME FIRST AND ATE -A WHILE; THEN SHE WOULD FOLLOW</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_110">110</div> -<div class="img" id="fig50"> -<img src="images/p2110.jpg" alt="" width="860" height="400" /> -<p class="pcap">SONG SPARROW</p> -</div> -<h2 id="c13"><span class="small">XII</span> -<br />MY BIRD FAMILY</h2> -<p>A great big family—that’s what my bird neighbors -are to me. This large family is made up of -smaller families. Let me set them all down in a row: -There are the bluebirds, meadowlarks, killdeers, song -sparrows, robins, purple martins, goldfinches, wrens, -orioles, thrashers, thrushes, waxwings, flycatchers, -pewee, phœbe, and the redheaded woodpecker. Oh, -there is one more. I would by no means slight the -humble chimney swift. When I hear that “Gitse -gitse” twitter, then I know that they, too, have come. -From early March when the first bluebird arrives, -until late May when pewee comes, I am like a mother -who waits at evening, unsatisfied until all her children -are in for the night. When I hear the call of -the latest comer, the sweet-voiced pewee, then I -know that my absent ones have all returned.</p> -<p>Add to these the Bob Whites, the cardinals, bluejays, -<span class="pb" id="Page_111">111</span> -and flickers, who stay the year round, and the -chickadees, nuthatches, downy and hairy woodpeckers, -and juncos, who come in autumn to spend the winter, -and you have my bird family, a wonderful family, -of musicians, of workmen, of homemakers—fathers -and mothers and children.</p> -<p>To me the ways of birds are more entertaining than -the best play I have ever attended. They enact real -life, not make-believes. Then, too, what music can -be compared to the sunrise and sunset concerts of -birds in springtime and in early summer? To know -each singer by name adds much to the enjoyment.</p> -<p>The ways of birds are also wonderful, past finding -out. Who can explain how they make their nests -so pretty, when the only tools they have are beak -and feet? Then, how gingerly they hide their nests, -some with dainty curtains of leaves, others by blending -colors! To find a bird’s nest always fills me with -reverence. It is a little home, a sacred place to its -owners. It shall be sacred to me. The mother-wit -and father-wisdom that birds show in rearing their -young and in protecting them from harm makes me -believe that they do think and plan and reason out -things much as we human beings do. The most -wonderful thing about birds is the long journey that -so many of them make every year, generally with -several babies only a few months old in the family.</p> -<p>It has been proved that birds will return year after -year to the same orchard, garden, yard, or porch. I -<span class="pb" id="Page_112">112</span> -know my birds by their actions. I do not need to tie -bands on their legs to know them. When they return -they visit all their familiar haunts, not cautiously as -a stranger would, but boldly, and with the joyousness -of those who have returned home after a long absence. -They call to me as if they would say: “Here we -are again! Are you still here, too?”</p> -<p>Then what curiosity they display when they find -a new bath! How they fly over and around it, trying -to satisfy themselves that it is a safe place to -alight! What joy they express by their splashing!</p> -<p>It was while taking her bath that Mother Oriole -was caught one day by the camera. Most wonderful -to tell, her own babies whom she often brought with -her took this picture. How did they do it? They -tried to perch on the thread leading from the camera -over to the house, where I sat waiting for Mrs. -Oriole to come out of the water before taking her -picture. The thread was not strong enough to hold -the young birds. They went down with it, and in so -doing snapped the spring which operated the shutter. -This took the picture of Mother Oriole in the bath.</p> -<p>Those of my bird family who inhabit houses are -sure every spring to find either some new houses, or -their old ones cleaned and repaired.</p> -<p>I always keep two houses up for bluebirds, and -several for wrens. It is pleasant to watch them make -their choice, and after a fledging they can set up -housekeeping again in the same house, or take -<span class="pb" id="Page_113">113</span> -another. My experience has been that birds become -attached to a house where they have safely fledged -a brood, and if it is promptly cleaned they will return -to it, rather than try a new one. But I have -known instances where a pair began a second nesting -before the young of their first brood were fledged. -In such a case an extra house is convenient.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig51"> -<img src="images/p2113.jpg" alt="" width="870" height="600" /> -<p class="pcap">MOTHER ORIOLE IN THE BATH</p> -</div> -<p>My bluebird house is five by seven inches,<a class="fn" id="fr_3" href="#fn_3">[3]</a> and is -so shaped as to afford depth. Sufficient height is -<span class="pb" id="Page_114">114</span> -secured by means of a gable roof; and a half-inch -hole immediately under the roof affords ventilation.</p> -<p>The bluebird covers the floor of her house with -grasses to the depth of about an inch and a half. -Away back against the rear wall she makes the little -hollow in which she lays her eggs. I make her entrance -one inch and a half in diameter, and just -below the middle front. While brooding she can -look outside, and this affords her some diversion -during that monotonous task. This certainly seemed -to be what one bluebird aimed at who nested in -Mrs. Daily’s wren house. The wad of grasses in -that house reached clear up to the entrance, which -was about four inches above the floor. Apparently -this bird had tried to build her nest high enough so -she could look outside.</p> -<p>Wrens always make a litter several inches high of -twigs and other materials. In this litter they embed -their nest of fine grasses and feathers. Hence I conclude -that they want their entrance several inches -above the floor, so that, on going in, they can walk -over the litter and do not have to grope through it. -Being small birds they need only a small house. -After years of experimenting I have settled on five -inches by seven for wrens also, but their house is so -shaped as to afford height. The sides run up at the -back to twelve inches. A half-inch hole high on -each side affords ventilation. I make the entrance -one inch and an eighth in diameter, just too small -<span class="pb" id="Page_115">115</span> -for the English sparrow, but large enough to serve -some other small bird should no wrens come. A -smaller entrance makes it difficult for wrens to get -in their bulky nesting materials. My wrens raised -three broods in their little house in the pear tree last -summer.</p> -<p>A friend of mine bought a wren house which has -a low entrance. Some wrens nested in it. One day -Father Wren was very much excited, but no one could -understand what was the trouble. The next day, -believing that the wrens had fledged their young, my -friend ordered the house to be cleaned. To her -horror she found Mother Wren wedged in among the -nesting, dead. The babies were dead in their nest. -Evidently their increasing weight had settled the -nesting materials so the mother could not get out any -more and neither could Father Wren go in. Let this -be a warning to all who make wren houses, to make -the entrance several inches above the floor!</p> -<p>My houses for wrens and bluebirds are so made -that they can be easily opened after use, and cleaned. -The front on the wren house can be raised, that on -the bluebird house lowered. By means of a screw -eye, the front is securely closed while the house is in -use.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_116">116</div> -<div class="img" id="fig52"> -<img src="images/p2116.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="766" /> -<p class="pcap">SO MADE THAT THEY CAN BE EASILY OPENED AFTER USE -AND CLEANED</p> -</div> -<p>Of late I have also used an open shelter. It consists -of a tray about five inches square, roofed over, -and serves two purposes. For winter use I fasten a -small wire pocket on it, into which I put beef suet. -Then I mount this shelter about five feet high on a -tree. Around the trunk I fasten strings of peanuts; -in the tray I keep shelled corn, of which cardinals -are especially fond. The English sparrow does not -care for the suet, and as he cannot manage the corn -nor the peanuts, this feedery attracts only desirable -<span class="pb" id="Page_117">117</span> -birds. In March I remove the wire pocket, and -mount the shelter a few feet higher, to serve as a -nest shelter for robins. The roof will ward off heavy -rains, which destroy so many robin’s nests. A -similar shelter, if fastened in the shade on a wall, -might attract phœbes.</p> -<p>When one starts out to make bird houses he should -decide first of all what birds he wishes to attract by -means of them. Booklets containing drawings and -instructions for making houses for many kinds of -house-nesting birds can be had free by addressing a -postcard to the Biological Survey, Washington, D.C.</p> -<p>Whoever tries to attract birds should also protect -them from storms, from their natural enemies, and -from meddlesome people. Birds will sometimes reject -a good house because it is not properly mounted, -or because the location is objectionable. The boy -and I visited a park lately where about a hundred -bird houses had been put up, and but a few were said -to be occupied. These houses were so constructed -that, by turning a cleat underneath, the floor could -be pulled down and out. If occupied, opening them -in this way might have disturbed the nest. We -visited twenty-five of these houses. All except two -were mounted so low that the boy could reach them, -some with ease, and turn those cleats. Only the two -which he could not reach were occupied.</p> -<p>Some people have recommended tin cans as nest -boxes for small birds. I have tried the tin can, carefully -<span class="pb" id="Page_118">118</span> -painted and placed in the shade. But, even with -these precautions, I would discourage its use. People -are so apt to forget about placing it in the shade! I -have seen birds’ nests in tin cans with little skeletons -embedded in them, the birds having been smothered -by the intense heat which metal will store.</p> -<p>Enough wooden boxes are discarded by grocers, -druggists, and other merchants to stock the country -every year with bird houses. If our fathers and -mothers will encourage the making of these discards -into bird houses, shelters, -and feederies, it will -mark a step forward in -bird protection.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig53"> -<img src="images/p2118.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="754" /> -<p class="pcap">FOOD HOUSE, MADE OUT OF -WASTE MATERIALS</p> -</div> -<p>Food houses should be -protected so that other -animals cannot mount -and monopolize them, -keeping the birds at bay. -The red squirrel will do -this unless the food tray -is at least five feet above -ground and the post well -sheathed in tin.</p> -<p>My newest food house -has the lid of a cheese -box as tray and the top -of a sugar barrel as roof. -This flat surface is a -<span class="pb" id="Page_119">119</span> -handy place for a basin of water. In each of the four -pillars supporting the roof is a hole, to be stuffed with -suet, cheese, peanut butter, etc. My grocer saves the -drippings from his peanut grinder for my birds, so -there is no extravagance in giving them this dainty. -Song sparrows and bluebirds like it as well as the -woodpeckers. On the side of the tray I tack nesting -material. So this food house, made out of waste -materials, serves several uses. The boy liked it so -well he patterned one after it for his birds.</p> -<p>Every autumn a lisping, whispered, dreamy bird -song coming from some low elevation has puzzled me. -The bird looked like the song sparrow, but this soft -warble was so different from his spirited spring and -summer songs that I could not believe my eyes. -After repeated autumn entries in my notebook, “I see -his heavy breastspot heave and swell, and his tail -quiver as the song sparrow’s always does when he -sings,” I was gratified to find my findings confirmed by -another observer.<a class="fn" id="fr_4" href="#fn_4">[4]</a> The singer was the song sparrow.</p> -<p>But to return to my bird family.</p> -<p>From the time the first birds arrive in the spring -until they leave again, my notebook and my field -glasses are my constant companions. Now here are -some little nature secrets. My notebook is a green -one. I have to buy the paper in large sheets of the -wholesaler, and make the books myself. A green -<span class="pb" id="Page_120">120</span> -notebook on my lap does not make such a striking -patch on the landscape as a white one would. The -birds do not notice it so readily. Then, whenever I -am out “birding,” except in winter, I wear green -clothes. When taking pictures I use green focusing -cloths instead of the usual black ones. These things -are great helps in bird study.</p> -<p>There now! For the first time in this book I have -used the word “study” in connection with birds. -Some people think they must study volumes on ornithology -before they can enjoy birds. Nothing -could be farther from the truth.</p> -<p>Even the little tot in a family may have an interest -in his bird neighbors that will provide him wholesome -pastime. I know one who, ever since he could -walk well, has faithfully kept the birds’ bath in the -yard supplied with fresh water, and who saves all the -table scraps for them. He wears an Audubon button -and says he is “the birdies’ policeman.”</p> -<p>Love, look, listen, appreciate; let these be your -watchwords. Just love the birds. Look, as long as -they remain in sight. Observe their ways and their -appearance. Listen to their songs. Try to know -your immediate bird neighbors by appearance, name, -and song. Do them a kindness when possible. This -will lead up to recognition of birds, which creates a -desire for study of them. The rest will follow. You -will begin to record observations. You will <i>wish</i> for -field glasses and bird books. You will <i>want</i> to spend -<span class="pb" id="Page_121">121</span> -your holidays and your vacations where you can see -birds. Before you realize it you will be one of those -happiest of individuals, a nature lover, as all true -bird lovers are. It cannot be otherwise, because the -birds will draw you out to nature at all times, and -make you see her in all her moods.</p> -<p>Then some day, when everybody loves birds, -perhaps they will no longer hide their nests, and -may even fly to us, instead of away from us.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig54"> -<img src="images/p2121.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="844" /> -<p class="pcap">MAYBE THEY WILL FLY TO US, INSTEAD OF AWAY FROM US</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_122">122</div> -<div class="img" id="fig55"> -<img src="images/p2122.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="972" /> -<p class="pcap">THE BIRDIES’ POLICEMAN</p> -</div> -<div class="pb" id="Page_123">123</div> -<h2 id="c14"><span class="small">GLOSSARY</span></h2> -<p class="revint"><b>apartment</b>, room, living quarters.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>Audubon</b>, John James Audubon, noted student of bird life.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>authority</b>, one who has commanding knowledge of a subject.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>berating</b>, scolding.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>Berlepsch</b>, family name of a nobleman who was noted for -his kindness to birds.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>bewildered</b>, confused.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>birdling</b>, a baby bird.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>blending</b>, mixing.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>bluster</b>, play the bully.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>bungalow</b>, a one-story house.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>chickfeed</b>, a mixture of cracked grain.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>clamber</b>, climb awkwardly.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>commotion</b>, disturbance.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>conjecture</b>, guess, suppose.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>convenient</b>, suitable, handy.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>cornice</b>, the fancy topmost part of a wall, usually overhanging.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>courageous</b>, full of courage, brave.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>craw</b>, the crop; part of a bird’s throat through which his -food passes.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>crouching</b>, lying flat or very close to the ground.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>delving</b>, making holes by digging; working hard.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>demonstration</b>, a show.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>distinguished</b>, notable, unusually fine.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>distressed</b>, troubled.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_124">124</div> -<p class="revint"><b>entice</b>, coax, persuade.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>evidently</b>, plainly, clearly.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>fetch</b>, go and bring back.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>fledge</b>, (<i>a bird</i>) to reach the age when its feathers are grown, -so that it can fly; to care for a bird until it reaches that -age.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>fledgling</b>, young bird, just out of the nest.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>forage</b>, seek for food.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>frantic</b>, wild with fear or alarm, or even with joy.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>genial</b>, friendly, kindly.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>gingerly</b>, cautiously, carefully.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>goal</b>, the place one is going to.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>guttural</b>, throaty, hoarse.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>hepatica</b>, a spring flower, also called <i>liverwort</i>.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>inflection</b>, change in the pitch of the voice.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>insanitary</b>, unhealthful.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>inspect</b>, examine, look into.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>intruder</b>, a meddler, outsider, stranger.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>larvæ</b>, caterpillars, grubs.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>lore</b>, knowledge.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>mandible</b>, a jaw, upper or lower, especially of a beak or bill.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>manicure stick</b>, a small smooth stick of orange wood, used -in caring for the finger nails.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>matins</b>, morning songs.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>menace</b>, danger.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>minor tone</b>, low, soft, sad tone.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>minstrel</b>, a traveling musician.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>monopolize</b>, to own, to possess alone.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>monotonous</b>, tiresome.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>morsel</b>, a mouthful, a bit of food.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_125">125</div> -<p class="tb revint"><b>Neufchâtel</b>, a city in Switzerland famed for the manufacture -of cheeses.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>nimble</b>, active.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>notional</b>, full of notions, whimsical, “cranky.”</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>obedient</b>, willing to obey, dutiful.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>odious</b>, disagreeable, unpopular, offensive.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>opportunity</b>, chance.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>ornithology</b>, the scientific study of birds.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>pastime</b>, amusement, play.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>pergola</b>, garden house.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>persecution</b>, pursuit with the object of punishing or hurting.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>pilfering</b>, thieving.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>pleading</b>, begging.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>plumage</b>, feathers.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>preen</b>, smooth down feathers with the beak.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>premises</b>, piece of land belonging to somebody.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>primitive</b>, old-fashioned.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>prospect</b>, view, outlook, scene.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>provisions</b>, food.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>rasping</b>, harsh, grating.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>ravine</b>, small valley made by running water.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>relent</b>, yield, give in, forgive.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>revenge</b>, return of evil for evil.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>revive</b>, bring back to life.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>rippling</b>, moving up and down or back and forth, like water.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>rung</b>, step (<i>of a ladder</i>).</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>sanctuary</b>, refuge, shelter, place of protection.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>serene</b>, quiet, calm.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>sibilant</b>, high, piercing, hissing notes.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_126">126</div> -<p class="revint"><b>soot</b>, a fine black powder left by smoke on the inside of -chimneys.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>stealthily</b>, secretly.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>subdued</b>, overcome, quieted.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>subsist</b>, live on.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>suet</b>, beef fat.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>syringa bush</b>, an ornamental shrub with very sweet white -blossoms.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>tapering</b>, narrowing to a point.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>temporary</b>, for a short time.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>tenants</b>, dwellers, occupants.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>tethered</b>, tied, leashed, hitched to a post or weight.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>tinker</b>, work at anything in an unskilled way.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>tin-sheathed</b>, enclosed in tin sheeting.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>tolerate</b>, put up with, endure.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>transfer</b>, remove.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>trellis</b>, lattice work for vines to grow on.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>trilling</b>, quavering (<i>said of singing</i>).</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>underbrush</b>, small trees and bushes growing under large -trees in a wood.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>ventilation</b>, letting in fresh air.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>venture</b>, risk, attempt.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>vespers</b>, evening songs.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>vigilant</b>, watchful.</p> -<p class="revint"><b>vise</b>, clamp.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>winsome</b>, charming, pleasing.</p> -<p class="tb revint"><b>yodeling</b>, warbling, singing with frequent changes from -high to low and low to high.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_127">127</div> -<h2 id="c15"><span class="small">DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING BIRD HOUSES</span></h2> -<p>The figures given below are based on ½″ lumber, except the -backs of wren and bluebird houses and the base and roof of martin -house, which should be ⅞″ thick.</p> -<table class="center"> -<tr class="th"><th> </th><th><i>Back</i> </th><th><i>Sides</i> </th><th><i>Front</i> </th><th><i>Floor</i> </th><th><i>Roof</i> </th><th><i>Entrance</i> </th><th><i>Air Hole</i></th></tr> -<tr><td class="l">Bluebird house </td><td class="c">4″×10″ </td><td class="c">5″×7″ </td><td class="c">4″×5″ and 7″ </td><td class="c">4″×5½″ </td><td class="c">5″×8″ 4½″×8″ gable </td><td class="c">1½″ dia. in middle front </td><td class="c">½″ dia. in peak of gable</td></tr> -<tr><td class="l">Wren house </td><td class="c">4″×14″ </td><td class="c">5″×7″ and 12″ </td><td class="c">4″×7″ </td><td class="c">3½″×4″ </td><td class="c">7″×8″ sloping </td><td class="c">1⅛″ dia. 5″ above floor </td><td class="c">½″ dia. in each peak</td></tr> -</table> -<p>For picture of bluebird house, see <a href="#ncfig1">inside back cover</a>; for picture -of wren house, see <a href="#Page_39">page 39</a>. The sides of both houses are nailed -to the edges of the back in such a way as to let the back project -below, about one inch.</p> -<p>In the bluebird house, the upper edges of the sides should be -beveled to fit the slope of the roof. The front of this house is -hinged upon a one-inch brad driven in, on each side, a half-inch -above the lower corner. To enable the front to swing downward, -as shown on <a href="#Page_116">page 116</a>, the floor must be fastened in place three-fourths -of an inch above the lower edge of the sides. Before -nailing on the roof, see that the front swings easily. Bore half-inch -holes in the projecting back below and above, for wire to run -through to strap the house in place. Add a perch of doweling a -half inch below the entrance. See <a href="#ncfig1">figure on inside back cover</a>.</p> -<p>The wren house is also provided with a swinging front, hinged -like that of the bluebird house, but with the brads placed one inch -from the upper corners so that it opens up instead of down. This -is shown on <a href="#Page_116">page 116</a>. The upper part of the back of wren house -is planed flush with the sloping sides, and the roof is planed flush -with the back. The air holes on each side will also serve for wire -<span class="pb" id="Page_128">128</span> -to run through. Other holes for this purpose should be bored in -the projecting back at the bottom. Again see figure on <a href="#Page_116">page 116</a>. -Add a perch of doweling a half inch below the entrance.</p> -<div class="img" id="fig56"> -<img src="images/p2128.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="607" /> -<p class="pcap">THE FINISHED MARTIN HOUSE</p> -</div> -<div class="img" id="fig57"> -<img src="images/p2128a.jpg" alt="" width="500" height="491" /> -<p class="pcap">RAISING THE MARTIN HOUSE</p> -</div> -<p>The holes in the backs should be about an inch apart on the -surface and should be bored at an angle, so as to lead the wire -snugly around the trunk. When the houses are put up for use, the -front of each is securely closed by means of a screw eye on the side, -which can be easily removed for the purpose of cleaning. Bluebird -and wren houses should be in shade or part shade, about ten feet -above ground, and mounted so that the upper part tilts slightly -forward.</p> -<table class="center"> -<tr class="th"><th> </th><th><i>Base</i> </th><th><i>Box for lower story</i> </th><th><i>Rooms</i> </th><th><i>Entrances</i> </th><th><i>Pole</i> </th><th><i>2 Posts</i></th></tr> -<tr><td class="l">Martin house </td><td class="c">30″×30″ </td><td class="c">7″×20″×20″ </td><td class="c">6″×6″×7″ </td><td class="c">2½″ dia. 1″ above floor </td><td class="c">4″×6″×16′ </td><td class="c">4″×6″×11′</td></tr> -</table> -<p>In the center of the base a hole 4″×6″ is cut to fit the pole -upon which the house is to be mounted. Two cleats are nailed -underneath the base, crosswise of the boards and plumb with -either side of the 4″×6″ hole. The box for the lower story is -partitioned into nine compartments, each 6″ square and 7″ high. -This gives eight outside rooms and a central space through which -the pole may go. In order to provide ventilation near the ceiling, -<span class="pb" id="Page_129">129</span> -make the partitions only 6½″ high. They need not be nailed, but -may be dovetailed, like partitions in an egg box.</p> -<p>To make the house so it can be easily opened, for cleaning or -to rout the English sparrows, fasten the box for lower story in the -center of the base by means of screw eyes and hooks, two on a side. -The projecting part of the base will form a 5″-wide porch all around, -a convenience which martins greatly enjoy. The ceiling is allowed -to project 2½″ at the front and back to form porches for the upper -rooms. Add a gable ample enough to afford at each end a room -6″ wide and 7″ high. In the upper end of the partition between -these two rooms, cut a hole 2½″ in diameter. The reason for -this is stated on <a href="#Page_88">page 88</a>, paragraph 2. The slanting roof should -project 2½″ all around. Finish it with a flat top as shown in the -first cut on <a href="#Page_128">page 128</a>. Add posts 1″×1″×4″ on which to staple -wire or doweling as perches for the martins. Fasten these little -posts to the flat roof by screws from beneath, before nailing it to -the house.</p> -<p>Now fit the pole to the central space and screw it securely to the -cleats under the base, and the pole with the house on it is ready to -be set up. The martin house should be at least fifty feet away -from a tree or building, and fifteen feet above ground.</p> -<p>To mount the martin house so it can be easily let down to be -cleaned or to rout the English sparrows, place the two posts four -inches apart and have them at least six feet high. Set the pole -holding the martin house between them and secure it with two -bolts about four feet apart, the lower bolt being 1½ feet from the -ground. To lower the house, remove the lower bolt and tilt the -pole, as shown in the second cut on <a href="#Page_128">page 128</a>. The posts should -be creosoted and sunk five feet in cement.</p> -<p>This cut shows a block and tackle being used to tilt the pole. -A further precaution against having the house crash to the ground -would be a shears made of rough two by four scantling, which can -be obtained in twelve-foot lengths. In making the shears, bolt -the scantlings two feet from the top with an ordinary half-inch -carriage bolt, and tie the bottoms so the legs will not spread too -much.</p> -<div class="pb" id="Page_130">130</div> -<h2 id="c16"><span class="small">INDEX</span></h2> -<p class="center"><span class="ab">A</span> <a class="ab" href="#index_B">B</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_C">C</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_D">D</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_E">E</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_F">F</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_G">G</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_H">H</a> <span class="ab">I</span> <a class="ab" href="#index_J">J</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_K">K</a> <span class="ab">L</span> <a class="ab" href="#index_M">M</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_N">N</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_O">O</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_P">P</a> <span class="ab">Q</span> <a class="ab" href="#index_R">R</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_S">S</a> <a class="ab" href="#index_T">T</a> <span class="ab">U</span> <span class="ab">V</span> <a class="ab" href="#index_W">W</a> <span class="ab">X</span> <span class="ab">Y</span> <span class="ab">Z</span></p> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_B">B</dt> -<dt>Bird Calls: Baltimore Oriole, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>.</dt> -<dd>Bluebird, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>, <a href="#Page_35">35</a>, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>.</dd> -<dd>Bluejay, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>.</dd> -<dd>Bob White, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>.</dd> -<dd>Brown Thrasher, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>.</dd> -<dd>Cardinal, <a href="#Page_104">104</a>-107, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>.</dd> -<dd>Cedar Waxwing, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>.</dd> -<dd>Chickadee, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>.</dd> -<dd>Chimney Swift, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>, <a href="#Page_66">66</a>, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dd> -<dd>Crested Flycatcher, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>.</dd> -<dd>Downy Woodpecker, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>.</dd> -<dd>Flicker, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>-50.</dd> -<dd>Goldfinch, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>, <a href="#Page_77">77</a>.</dd> -<dd>Junco, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>.</dd> -<dd>Killdeer, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>.</dd> -<dd>Meadowlark, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>.</dd> -<dd>Nuthatch, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>.</dd> -<dd>Pewee, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>.</dd> -<dd>Phœbe, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>.</dd> -<dd>Purple Martin, <a href="#Page_80">80</a>, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>, <a href="#Page_89">89</a>.</dd> -<dd>Redheaded Woodpecker, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>.</dd> -<dd>Song Sparrow, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>.</dd> -<dd>Wood Thrush, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>.</dd> -<dd>Wren, <a href="#Page_4">4</a>, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>, <a href="#Page_38">38</a>, <a href="#Page_41">41</a>.</dd> -<dt>Blackbird, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>.</dt> -<dt>Bluebird, <a href="#Page_18">18</a>-20, <a href="#Page_24">24</a>-35, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>-56, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>-115, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>.</dt> -<dt>Bluejay, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Bob White, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Boy, The, <a href="#Page_18">18</a>, <a href="#Page_19">19</a>, <a href="#Page_38">38</a>, <a href="#Page_44">44</a>-61, <a href="#Page_67">67</a>, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>-101, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>.</dt> -<dt>Bunny (<i>See</i> Rabbit).</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_C">C</dt> -<dt>Canary, Wild (<i>See</i> Goldfinch).</dt> -<dt>Cardinal, <a href="#Page_102">102</a>-110.</dt> -<dt>Cat, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>, <a href="#Page_23">23</a>-26, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>, <a href="#Page_40">40</a>, <a href="#Page_41">41</a>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_57">57</a>, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>, <a href="#Page_70">70</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>.</dt> -<dt>Chickadee, <a href="#Page_16">16</a>, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_D">D</dt> -<dt>Dog, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>, <a href="#Page_22">22</a>, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_E">E</dt> -<dt>Eggs, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>, <a href="#Page_38">38</a>, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>, <a href="#Page_55">55</a>, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_F">F</dt> -<dt>Flicker, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>-50, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>.</dt> -<dt>Flycatcher, Crested, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>-96, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Food for Birds, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>, <a href="#Page_5">5</a>-8, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>-17, <a href="#Page_23">23</a>, <a href="#Page_24">24</a>, <a href="#Page_33">33</a>, <a href="#Page_34">34</a>, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_60">60</a>, <a href="#Page_64">64</a>-67, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>-75, <a href="#Page_83">83</a>, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>-104, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_108">108</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>-119.</dt> -<dt>Foodhouses, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_100">100</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>-119.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_G">G</dt> -<dt>Goldfinch, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>-77, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_H">H</dt> -<dt>Hawk, <a href="#Page_85">85</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>, <a href="#Page_90">90</a>.</dt> -<dt>Hawk, Marsh, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>.</dt> -<dt>Helps in Bird Study, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>, <a href="#Page_120">120</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_J">J</dt> -<dt>Junco, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_K">K</dt> -<dt>Killdeer, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Kitty (<i>See</i> Cat).</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_M">M</dt> -<dt>Martin, Purple, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>-91, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Meadowlark, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<div class="pb" id="Page_131">131</div> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_N">N</dt> -<dt>Nest and Nestings: Baltimore Oriole, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>.</dt> -<dd>Bluebird, <a href="#Page_30">30</a>-32, <a href="#Page_35">35</a>, <a href="#Page_38">38</a>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>-56.</dd> -<dd>Bluejay, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>.</dd> -<dd>Brown Thrasher, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>.</dd> -<dd>Cardinal, <a href="#Page_106">106</a>, <a href="#Page_107">107</a>, <a href="#Page_109">109</a>.</dd> -<dd>Cedar Waxwing, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>.</dd> -<dd>Chimney Swift, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>, <a href="#Page_61">61</a>-63.</dd> -<dd>Flicker, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>.</dd> -<dd>Goldfinch, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_75">75</a>, <a href="#Page_76">76</a>.</dd> -<dd>Killdeer, <a href="#Page_53">53</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>.</dd> -<dd>Phœbe, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>.</dd> -<dd>Purple Martin, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>, <a href="#Page_82">82</a>.</dd> -<dd>Redheaded Woodpecker, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>.</dd> -<dd>Robin, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>, <a href="#Page_9">9</a>, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>.</dd> -<dd>Wood Thrush, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>.</dd> -<dd>Wren, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>-5, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>, <a href="#Page_36">36</a>-43, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>.</dd> -<dt>Nesthouses, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>-20, <a href="#Page_24">24</a>-26, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>-31, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>-115, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>.</dt> -<dd>Berlepsch house, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>-96.</dd> -<dd>Bluebird, <a href="#Page_18">18</a>, <a href="#Page_19">19</a>, <a href="#Page_25">25</a>-27, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>-32, <a href="#Page_35">35</a>, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>-115.</dd> -<dd>Chickadee, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>.</dd> -<dd>Crested Flycatcher, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>-96.</dd> -<dd>Purple Martin, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_78">78</a>-91.</dd> -<dd>Woodpecker, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>.</dd> -<dd>Wren, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>-5, <a href="#Page_18">18</a>-20, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>, <a href="#Page_36">36</a>-43, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>.</dd> -<dt>Nest Shelter, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>.</dt> -<dt>Nuthatch, <a href="#Page_14">14</a>-16, <a href="#Page_103">103</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_O">O</dt> -<dt>Oriole, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_72">72</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_P">P</dt> -<dt>Pewee, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_99">99</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Phœbe, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>, <a href="#Page_98">98</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>.</dt> -<dt>Pigeon, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>.</dt> -<dt>Protection, <a href="#Page_10">10</a>, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>, <a href="#Page_23">23</a>-27, <a href="#Page_30">30</a>, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>, <a href="#Page_38">38</a>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_48">48</a>, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>-71, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_R">R</dt> -<dt>Rabbit, <a href="#Page_21">21</a>-23, <a href="#Page_101">101</a>.</dt> -<dt>Robin, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>, <a href="#Page_8">8</a>-11, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_68">68</a>-71, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_117">117</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_S">S</dt> -<dt>Sparrow, English, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_25">25</a>-27, <a href="#Page_32">32</a>, <a href="#Page_35">35</a>, <a href="#Page_37">37</a>, <a href="#Page_38">38</a>, <a href="#Page_40">40</a>, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>, <a href="#Page_56">56</a>, <a href="#Page_79">79</a>-82, <a href="#Page_84">84</a>, <a href="#Page_86">86</a>, <a href="#Page_88">88</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>, <a href="#Page_116">116</a>.</dt> -<dt>Sparrow, Song, <a href="#Page_54">54</a>, <a href="#Page_92">92</a>, <a href="#Page_93">93</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>.</dt> -<dt>Squirrel, Gray, <a href="#Page_25">25</a>.</dt> -<dt>Squirrel, Red, <a href="#Page_15">15</a>, <a href="#Page_24">24</a>-27, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_69">69</a>, <a href="#Page_118">118</a>.</dt> -<dt>Swallow (<i>See</i> Swift and Purple Martin).</dt> -<dt>Swift, Chimney, <a href="#Page_59">59</a>-67, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_T">T</dt> -<dt>Thrasher, Brown, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>-75, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Thrush, Wood, <a href="#Page_47">47</a>, <a href="#Page_50">50</a>, <a href="#Page_51">51</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<dl class="index"> -<dt class="center b" id="index_W">W</dt> -<dt>Waxwing, Cedar, <a href="#Page_94">94</a>, <a href="#Page_96">96</a>, <a href="#Page_97">97</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Woodpecker, <a href="#Page_2">2</a>, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>-14, <a href="#Page_17">17</a>, <a href="#Page_20">20</a>, <a href="#Page_46">46</a>, <a href="#Page_52">52</a>, <a href="#Page_119">119</a>.</dt> -<dt>Woodpecker, Downy, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>-14, <a href="#Page_23">23</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>.</dt> -<dt>Woodpecker, Golden-winged (<i>See</i> Flicker).</dt> -<dt>Woodpecker, Hairy, <a href="#Page_12">12</a>, <a href="#Page_111">111</a>.</dt> -<dt>Woodpecker, Redheaded, <a href="#Page_58">58</a>, <a href="#Page_73">73</a>, <a href="#Page_74">74</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>.</dt> -<dt>Wren, <a href="#Page_3">3</a>-8, <a href="#Page_11">11</a>, <a href="#Page_18">18</a>-20, <a href="#Page_24">24</a>, <a href="#Page_26">26</a>, <a href="#Page_29">29</a>, <a href="#Page_33">33</a>, <a href="#Page_36">36</a>-43, <a href="#Page_45">45</a>, <a href="#Page_110">110</a>, <a href="#Page_112">112</a>, <a href="#Page_114">114</a>, <a href="#Page_115">115</a>.</dt> -</dl> -<div class="pb" id="Page_132">132</div> -<h2 id="c17"><span class="small">FOOTNOTES</span></h2> -<div class="fnblock"><div class="fndef"><a class="fn" id="fn_1" href="#fr_1">[1]</a>Dr Francis H. Herrick, author of “The Home Life of Wild Birds.” -</div><div class="fndef"><a class="fn" id="fn_2" href="#fr_2">[2]</a>A still better -plan for lowering a martin house is described on <a href="#Page_127">page 127</a>. -</div><div class="fndef"><a class="fn" id="fn_3" href="#fr_3">[3]</a>These -dimensions have been accepted and approved not only by -my own bluebird neighbors, but by a bluebird pair reported in <i>Bird -Lore</i> for July-August, 1916, as having nested in a cemetery, in an earthen -jar that lay upon its side on a grave. The report goes: “The jar -measured five inches across the bottom and about seven inches in -length.” There it is: five by seven! -</div><div class="fndef"><a class="fn" id="fn_4" href="#fr_4">[4]</a>Chas. R. Wallace of Delaware, Ohio, -in <i>Bird Lore</i>, March-April, -1915, p. 128. -</div> -</div> -<div class="img"> -<img src="images/p3001_back1.jpg" id="ncfig1" alt="Endpaper" width="600" height="854" /> -</div> -<div class="img"> -<img src="images/p3003.jpg" id="ncfig2" alt="Endpaper" width="634" height="900" /> -</div> -<h2>Transcriber’s Notes</h2> -<ul> -<li>Silently corrected a few typos.</li> -<li>Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.</li> -<li>In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.</li> -</ul> -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HOW TO HAVE BIRD NEIGHBORS ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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