,transcriber's ,note ,italic text displayed as3 italic ,illustration3 ,exhibition of ,birdhouses in the ,fairbanks ,museum1 ,st4 ,johnsbury1 ,vt4 ,,boy ,,bird ,,house ,,architecture ,by ,,leon ,h4 ,,baxter ,director of ,manual ,training1 ,public ,schools ,st4 ,johnsbury1 ,vt4 ,illustration3 ,decoration ,,the ,,bruce ,,publishing ,,co4 ,,milwaukee4 ,,wis4 ,copyright1 #aibj ,,the ,,bruce ,,publishing ,,co4 ,,introductory ,,note ,it is with much pleasure that ,i commend to the public this little book regarding the construction of ,bird ,houses4 ,as ,instructor in ,nature ,study at the ,fairbanks ,museum it has been my privilege and pleasure to co-operate closely with ,mr4 ,baxter's work in the manual training department of the local schools4 ,through his instruction our boys are proud to be considered natural guardians of bird homes in our town1 which is veritably a bird sanctuary4 ,about two hundred suitable nesting boxes have been placed in proper localities during the past three years4 ,the ,museum offers prizes each year to the boys of ,mr4 ,baxter's classes and our exhibit of ,bird ,houses on the first ,saturday in ,april is an event that attracts many proud parents to inspect the work of their children4 ,in this little book1 ,mr4 ,baxter tells very explicitly just how any one can build suitable houses to attract our native birds4 ,just here ,i would like to say that any town or community that protects its birds1 insures its harvests against destruction by insect pests4 ,therefore the economic value of ,bird ,houses is even greater than the aesthetic4 ,the results actually accomplished by ,mr4 ,baxter along these lines vouch for the accuracy of the information contained in this little book4 ,,inez ,,addie ,,howe1 ,instructor in ,nature ,study4 ,the ,fairbanks ,museum1 ,st4 ,johnsbury1 ,vt4 ,,author',s ,,preface ,to the lover of the open1 the woods1 the fields1 and waterways and all of ,god's wild things1 this book is affectionately dedicated4 ,to lead the boy and girl toward their proper relationship with their feathered friends of the air1 and to instil the feeling of protection toward our native birds1 these pages have been written and these designs made4 ,what is offered between the covers of this little book is the results of study and observation of birds and their ways covering a period of six years4 ,each drawing offered is of a proven house1 one that has served as a home for some of our songsters and if the directions1 here set down1 are faithfully followed1 equal success will crown the builders' efforts4 ,while the greater part of the text is the result of knowledge which the writer has gleaned at first hand1 yet the author has several times quoted from the text of the ,farmers' ,bulletin ,no4 #fba1 ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture1 and from a contribution by ,edward ,howe ,forbush1 in ,bulletin ,no4 #a1 published by ,the ,national ,association of ,audubon ,societies4 ,fig4 #b1 the photograph showing a blue bird entering a box1 is by ,s4 ,p4 ,brownell1 ,east ,barnet1 ,vt4 ,,leon ,h4 ,,baxter4 ,st4 ,johnsbury1 ,vt4 ,feb4 #b1 #aibj4 ,,table ,,of ,,contents ,page ,our ,friends the ,birds #aa ,birds ,that ,adapt ,themselves to ,nesting ,boxes #ab ,the ,bluebirds #ac ,the ,robin #ad ,the ,titmice #ad ,the ,wrens #ae ,the ,woodpecker #af ,bird ,house ,material #af ,methods of ,finishing ,exteriors #ah ,bird ,box ,specifications #bj ,typical ,bird ,house ,specifications #ba ,methods of ,conducting a ,bird ,house ,contest #bc ,bird ,house ,day #bf ,bird ,enemies #bg ,general ,directions for ,starting ,work on the ,bird ,boxes #bh ,winter ,care of the ,birds #ce ,plate #a--;,blue ,bird ,house #da ,plate #b--;,blue ,bird ,house #db ,plate #c--;,blue ,bird ,house #dc ,plate #d--;,blue ,bird ,house #dd ,plate #e--;,blue ,bird ,house #de ,plate #f--;,box for ,robins #df ,plate #g--;,box for ,robins #dg ,plate #h--;,box for ,wrens #dh ,plate #i--;,double ,wren ,house #di ,plate #aj--;,downy ,woodpecker ,house #ej ,plate #aa--;,box for ,hairy ,woodpeckers #ea ,plate #ab--;,flicker ,house #eb ,plate #ac--,woodpecker ,house #ec ,plate #ad--,nuthatch ,house #ed ,plate #ae--,nuthatch ,house #ee ,plate #af--;,box for ,tree ,swallow #ef ,plate #ag--,titmouse ,house #eg ,plate #ah--;,chickadee ,house #eh ,plate #ai--;,houses from ,common ,objects #ei ,plate #ai;a--,suggested ,designs for ,boxes #fj ,plate #bj--;,feeding ,devices #fa ,illustration3 ,fig4 #e4 ,exhibit of ,birdhouses ,made ,in the ,st4 ,johnsbury ,schools in #aiai4 ,,our ,,friends ,,the ,,birds ,it has been positively proven that birds will return annually in greater numbers to localities where assistance1 in the form of nesting boxes1 has been rendered by those interested in bird welfare1 than to those places where no such provision has been made4 ,a progressive study of our native birds by competent individuals1 especially through the ,united ,states ,department of ,agriculture in its ,farmers' ,bulletins1 has shown very decisively that the return made by our feathered friends by ridding our gardens and orchards of destructive worms and insects1 is many times as valuable as the small commission they collect by sampling a berry or two here and there4 ,innumerable quantities of seeds of plants and weeds which would otherwise overun our gardens are eaten by the birds4 ,this1 together with the fact that these same birds with their brilliant plumage and beautiful songs1 are a valuable asset to our neighborhood1 ought certainly to impress us that they are deserving of our assistance and protection4 ,assistance is best afforded by preparing suitable houses and feeding shelves for them1 and also by placing bits of string1 horsehair1 and other nesting material convenient for them4 ,protection is simple and may be limited to laws safeguarding birds from harm1 to killing off as many as possible of the ,english sparrows1 and to seeing that cats are not allowed any undue opportunity for harming them4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #a4 ,blue ,bird ,feeding ,young4 ,the boy or girl who puts up boxes for the birds to nest in1 supplies them with drinking and bathing places1 and provides food for those species which remain in winter1 is certain of an unfailing source of pleasure1 which can never be known to any one who pursues them with airgun and stones1 or simply ignores their presence4 ,the chances are that the bird-loving boy or girl will make the better citizen4 ,,birds ,,that ,,adapt ,,themselves ,,to ,,nesting ,,boxes4 ,there is quite a large number of birds that easily adapt themselves to the artificially made house4 ,the main thing is to consider the type of house that will appeal to the intended tenants1 one that approaches nearest to their natural desires and nesting sites4 ,bluebirds and house wrens are the easiest to entice to the nesting box4 ,plain weather stained boxes or those covered with bark have proven to be the best type4 ,purple martins nest in colonies but are scarce now in contrast to their former numbers4 ,tree swallows take to the boxes1 but if an occasion arises where they have a choice between the box and a natural cavity1 generally the latter will be selected4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #b4 ,blue ,bird ,entering ,box4 ,chickadees and flickers take to the home-made box and1 sometimes the little screech owl occupies one of the man-made residences4 ,he makes a worthy tenant1 for as a mouser1 he is superior to the house cat4 ,robin ,red ,breast is another easily attracted native bird4 ,last year ,i put up a robin shelf1 similar to the ones shown in the following drawings1 and inside of fifteen minutes ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,robin had hired the apartment for the season and were soon busily engaged in weaving the nest within fifteen feet of where we were observing them4 ,,the ,,bluebirds4 ,the eastern bluebird is a common inhabitant of all ,states east of the ,rocky ,mountains from the ,gulf of ,mexico to ,southern ,canada4 ,in the ,mississippi ,valley it winters as far north as ,southern ,illinois1 and in the ,east as far as ,pennsylvania4 ,it is one of the earliest northern migrants and everywhere is hailed as a harbinger of spring4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #c4 ,chickadee ,feeding4 ,domestic in habits1 it frequents orchards and gardens and builds close to human habitations4 ,fig4 #a shows a bluebird at the entrance to an artificially hollowed tree trunk1 feeding its young4 ,fig4 #b shows another bluebird about to enter a bird box4 ,,the ,,robin4 ,to many the robin is the most cherished of birds and is found throughout the ,states east of the ,great ,plains1 and is represented farther west and south by slightly different sub-species4 ,it breeds far north through ,canada1 and is found even in ,alaska4 ,it is quite fearless and will occupy a bird shelf close to human habitation4 ,the robin1 however1 refuses the enclosed house and therefore the front and one side should be made open4 ,,the ,,titmice4 ,these birds1 although insignificant in size1 have enormous appetites and feed chiefly on small insects and their eggs that wholly escape the search of larger birds4 ,this bird1 or some of its sub-species1 occupies the whole of the ,united ,states north of the latitude of ,washington and extends into ,canada4 ,in the eastern portion of the country the best known and most widely distributed species is the common black capped chickadee4 ,fig4 #c shows a chickadee feeding from the hand4 ,,the ,,wrens4 ,the diminutive house wren frequents barns and gardens and particularly old orchards in which the trees are partially decayed4 ,he makes his nest in a hollow where perhaps a woodpecker had a domicile the year before1 but he is a pugnacious character1 and if he happens to fancy one of the boxes put up for bluebirds1 he does not hesitate to take it4 ,he is usually not slow to avail himself of boxes1 gourds1 tin cans1 or empty jars placed for his accommodation4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #d4 ,the various species of wrens occupy more or less the whole country from the ,atlantic to the ,pacific4 ,the wren is one of our most friendly birds and his presence should be encouraged about every farm1 village1 and suburban residence4 ,,the ,,woodpecker4 ,the woodpeckers are the true bird carpenters and do a great amount of good in destroying harmful insects and boring worms4 ,these birds are found most everywhere in the ,united ,states1 several species remaining in the northern ,states throughout the year4 ,two of the best known woodpeckers1 the hairy woodpecker and the downy woodpecker1 range over a greater part of the ,united ,states4 ,one of the larger woodpeckers familiar to us all is the flicker1 or golden winged woodpecker4 ,most all of the woodpeckers will adopt the artificial house1 especially those hollowed out of a split piece of limb4 ,,bird ,,house ,,material4 ,great varieties of houses can be constructed of half inch lumber and can be made very attractive to the eye4 ,other material1 however1 can be utilized4 ,the most natural ,bird ,homes1 and such as may often be provided with the least trouble1 are pieces of hollow limbs or small hollow trunks of trees1 or the old nesting holes of woodpeckers4 ,if no limbs with suitable cavities are found1 they may be made by taking a piece of a limb1 about eight inches in diameter and fourteen to sixteen inches long1 dividing it in half1 with a rip saw1 from one end to within three inches of the other1 where the cut is met by a right-angle cut from the side4 ,after this an entrance hole of the required size is made through the shorter or front half4 ,the two halves are hollowed out1 as shown in ,plate #ai;,a1 so as to form a cylindrical cavity about three and one-half inches in diameter and ten inches deep2 then the two halves are placed together and held with screws or bolts4 ,a similar ,bird ,home is made by boring an auger hole from one end of a piece of limb to within a couple inches of the other1 plugging the bored end1 and making an entrance hole near the other end4 ,these homes are adapted to woodpeckers1 bluebirds1 house wrens1 chickadees and tree swallows4 ,a little larger home of the same type is required for crested fly catchers and decidedly larger ones for the flicker4 ,a good sized1 deserted flickers' home or similar cavity provides a nesting place attractive to the screech owl4 ,a piece of wooden tubing from a chainpump1 with the ends plugged1 and an entrance made in the side near the upper end1 the tube being covered with bark1 makes a very good substitute for a hollow limb4 ,if old and weather stained boards are used in making the box houses1 bark covering is not absolutely necessary1 but it adds to the attractiveness1 from both the birds' and the human standpoint1 and bark affords a good foothold for the birds as they alight at the entrance4 ,woodpeckers especially should have bark covered exteriors to their homes4 ,dried gourds1 hollowed out1 and with an opening made for an entrance1 often attract wrens and bluebirds4 ,while tin cans may be used1 it is not desirable1 in the author's opinion to make use of this medium as tin becomes very hot in the sun4 ,if cans are used1 care should be taken to place them in shaded places4 ,flower pots inverted1 as illustrated in ,plate #ai1 are suitable for some of the smaller birds4 ,the old fashioned chimney having been replaced by the modern chimney with small flues1 the chimney swifts may be provided with suitable nesting quarters by building on the roofs of barns or sheds1 artificial chimneys of wood4 ,birds may not always respond promptly to the first attempt at placing a ,bird ,box1 but the would-be landlord must not get discouraged4 ,prepare some ,bird ,homes in as attractive a manner as possible1 keep a supply of water for bathing and drinking at hand1 and prevent their being disturbed4 ,then watch for the results that are almost sure to come4 ,persistent and intelligent effort will bring ultimate results1 which will be sure to reward the attempt4 ,experience is the best teacher4 ,,methods ,,of ,,finishing ,,exteriors4 ,as has been before stated1 the best finish for the outside of our ,bird ,houses is bark4 ,the writer has experimented with various kinds of bark and has obtained the best results with the bark from the cedar4 ,it is rough enough for the birds to obtain a good foothold upon1 it is very artistic in appearance1 cuts and bends very easily and can be held with four ounce tacks4 ,a word should be said here about obtaining this bark1 as it should never be taken from the living tree4 ,cedar posts are used very much for supports in building and most any contractor or mill man has quantities on hand4 ,these posts most always must have the bark removed1 especially the part to show above ground1 and the owners1 ,i have found1 are glad to have the boys remove the bark from them4 ,sometimes a fallen cedar will be found in the woods and from it may be obtained all the bark necessary for a number of boxes4 ,if the whole ,bird ,box is not to be bark covered it is a good plan to see that the roof is protected by bark4 ,the remaining portions of the house should be stained or painted a very somber color1 such as dull gray1 brown1 or dark green4 ,avoid all gloss paints as they reflect light and tend to drive away rather than attract the birds4 ,bright colors should also be avoided4 ,a nicely constructed ,bird ,box painted a brilliant red with yellow trimmings or some other equally absurd combination such as the writer has seen1 is a travesty on proper ,bird ,house construction4 ,gloss paints can be dulled by adding turpentine4 ,painted or stained houses should be put out at least a month or more before the time for the birds to arrive4 ,this is to weather them and remove all odors4 ,it is a good plan to put out ,bird ,boxes in the fall if possible1 and they are then in excellent shape for spring use4 ,do not paint or stain ,bird ,boxes on the inside4 ,place the houses in quiet places1 away from the direct rays of the sun1 high enough to be out of the way of prowling cats or too inquisitive human beings4 ,,bird ,,box ,,specifications4 ,to successfully entice the birds to a man1--or rather boy--or girl-made home1 there are certain rules which experience has proven we must follow4 ,the drawings in this book have been made as nearly correct as careful study of all available data on the subject will allow4 ,the author feels confident that if the drawings1 together with the specifications that go with them1 are carefully followed the artisan will be amply rewarded by finding all bird tenements 8let0 as soon as the spring migration and nesting season starts4 ,these houses and many of varied design have been successfully built by pupils of the seventh and eighth grades1 with over #ge percent of success in having them occupied4 ,the table given below gives the correct dimensions for a variety of houses for different birds4 ,the size of the opening is very important1 as it is essential that it be no larger than is necessary for the bird for whom it is intended1 to conveniently enter4 ,the smaller birds will be bothered a great deal by the ,english sparrow1 who enters if the opening is not kept very small4 ,it is considered by a majority of authorities that a perch is not a help but a hindrance at the opening4 ,the sparrows alight there and by their incessant chirping drive out or annoy the more desirable occupants4 ,again1 the bluebird and most of the other song birds can fly directly to the edge of the opening and thus go in1 while the sparrow1 not quite as clever1 must first alight on the perch and get his bearing before hopping in4 ,it is exceedingly important that there be some means of cleaning out ,bird ,houses at the season's end or to remove any dead birdlings during the season4 ,this may be taken care of by having either the roof or the bottom hinged4 ,,typical ,,bird ,,house ,,specifications4 ,floor ,depth ,entrance ,diameter ,height ,area in in ,above of ,from ,inches ,inches ,floor in ,entrance ,ground ,bird ,inches in ,inches in ,inches ,bluebird #ee #h #f #a #e-aj ,robin #fh #h ,a ,a #f-ae ,chickadee #dd #h-aj #h #a #f-ae ,tufted ,titmouse #dd #h-aj #h #a #f-ae ,white-breasted ,nuthatch #dd #h-aj #h #a #ab-bj ,house ,wren #dd #f-h #a-f #f-aj ,bewick ,wren #dd #f-h #a-f #a #f-aj ,carolina ,wren #dd #f-h #a-f #a #f-aj ,dipper #ff #f #a #c #a-c ,violent-,green ,swallow #ee #f #a-f #a #aj-ae ,tree ,swallow #ee #f #a-f #a #aj-ae ,barn ,swallow #ff #f ,a ,a #h-ab ,martin #ff #f #a #b #af-bj ,swallow #ff #f #a #b #af-bj ,song ,sparrow #ff #f ,b #a-c ,crested ,flycatcher #ff #h-aj #h #b #h-bj ,red-headed ,woodpecker #ff #ab-ae #ab #b #ab-bj ,golden-,fronted ,woodpecker #ff #ab-ae #ab #a #ab-bj ,hairy ,woodpecker #ff #ab-ae #ab #a #ab-bj ,downy ,woodpecker #dd #h-aj #h #a #f-bj ,screech ,owl #hh #ab-ae #ab #c #aj-cj ,sparrow ,hawk #hh #ab-ae #ab #c #aj-cj ,saw-,whet ,owl #ff #aj-ab #aj #b #ab-bj ,barn ,owl #ajah #ae-ah #d #f #ab-ah ,wood ,duck #ajah #aj-ae #c #f #d-bj ,footnote ,a3 ,one or more sides open4 ,footnote ,b3 ,all sides open4 ,there should be a few small holes bored in the bottom to allow any moisture that might accumulate1 to drain4 ,also1 another set of holes at least -inch in diameter should be bored for ventilation1 high enough so that no drafts will affect the young4 ,these are best located just under the eaves4 ,in boring the entrance hole1 tip the bit upward slightly so that rain water will not drip inward4 ,some device for attaching the house to a building or tree should be provided4 ,it is best to have the house stationary to prevent undue swinging in a high wind1 perhaps causing the breaking of eggs and discomfort to the mother bird4 ,houses of unusual shape or design are not considered as good as the plainer types1 the idea being to make each house harmonize as naturally as possible with the surroundings4 ,it must be evident from the foregoing that there are quite a number of things to keep in mind as we prepare our plans for the homes of the future feathered inhabitants4 ,,methods ,,of ,,conducting ,a ,,bird ,,house ,,contest4 ,st4 ,johnsbury1 ,vermont1 is very fortunate in having a fine ,museum of ,natural ,science with a corps of very efficient workers on its staff4 ,every year the directors of the ,museum donate a substantial amount of prize money as rewards for the best houses constructed for birds by pupils of the grammar school4 ,the local ,commercial ,club1 as well as many of the merchants also1 add generously to the fund1 so that the boys and girls1 besides having an incentive for helping their bird friends from an economic standpoint1 also have a chance to profit financially4 ,previous to starting work the ,museum instructors give interesting lectures on the necessity of providing all possible assistance for the birds1 and by mounted specimens show the various birds that readily accept the artificial houses4 ,they also explain the entrance sizes required by the different species1 and go into detail concerning ventilation1 drainage1 coloring and placing of the houses4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #f4 ,a ,group of ,prize ,winners4 ,later on the children are taken on bird walks1 so as to study first hand the characteristics1 habitat1 and difference in coloring of the male and female of the various native birds4 ,original designs are encouraged1 and with discussions and good advice the work is started4 ,a stated amount of time is allowed for completing the houses1 and the material is paid for by each pupil4 ,on the appointed day the houses are numbered and grouped and are ready for the judging4 ,three judges are appointed from among people who are proficient to judge such an exhibit1 usually one of the museum instructors1 to judge the technical side1 a carpenter or mechanic1 to judge the workmanship1 and one who is interested in art to take care of the general design and appearance4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #g4 ,results of the ,first ,contest in ,st4 ,johnsbury4 ,the score card is as follows3 ,fitness to purpose #ej ,skill in ,workmanship #cj ,appearance1 design1 color #bj -------- ,total #ajj ,each judge marks individually on the tally and the box whose score is highest in the estimation of all1 receives first and so on through all the prizes4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #h4 ,some ,houses ,made in #aiaf4 ,sometimes the pupils judge the display beforehand and compare their results with those of the selected judges1 and it has proven generally that boys and girls will use very excellent judgment in selecting the winners4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #i4 ,a ,few ,houses ,made in #aiag4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aj4 ,a ,winner4 ,the prizes are usually tools1 good books1 and thrift stamps1 and this annual event is looked forward to with keen anticipation by the youthful designers4 ,figs4 #d and #e show exhibits at the local museum for the past two years4 ,fig4 #f shows a group of prize winners4 ,figs4 #g1 #h and #i show collections of houses made during the past four years4 ,fig4 #aj shows one prize winner with his house hollowed from a piece of birch limb4 ,,bird ,,house ,,day4 ,after the prize winners have been announced a day is set for all who are interested1 to gather at the ,museum1 and with nails1 hammers1 wire and step ladder1 together with the ,bird ,boxes start out to place the houses in position4 ,fig4 #aa shows a group about to start4 ,fig4 #ab gives a view of the boys placing a house in a tree4 ,,bird ,,enemies4 ,our bird friends have much to contend with in raising their broods1 and it is here we can render them valuable assistance4 ,the cat1 the greatest enemy of birds1 must be attended to diplomatically4 ,the shot gun method will not do here or we may find ourselves haled into court upon the complaint of some neighbor4 ,the best way is to guard the tree trunks with tin as suggested in several ways in ,plate #ai4 ,for tramp cats1 having no home or owner1 the trap shown in the same plate will be found efficient4 ,spikes may be driven in part way about a pole so that the row of heads prevent the cats getting by4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #aa4 ,children ,starting ,out to ,put ,up ,houses4 ,english ,sparrows are another sworn enemy of our song birds and they should be exterminated in every way possible4 ,traps1 air guns and any other means1 no matter how diabolical1 are all too good for this feathered pest4 ,their nests should be pulled down and the young destroyed whenever and wherever found4 ,they are persistent and must be continuously harassed4 ,squirrels and snakes also steal both the eggs and the young and they should be driven from localities frequented by birds4 ,,general ,,directions ,,for ,,starting ,,work ,,on ,,the ,,bird ,,boxes4 ,first decide upon the bird for which your house is to be made and1 referring to the drawings1 select the one which best suits your fancy4 ,look the various pieces over and estimate about how much lumber will be required1 then plan your work so as to cut your board with as little waste as possible4 ,take pieces of a similar width and get them out in one long piece from your board4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ab4 ,putting ,up a ,house4 ,plane one edge of the board straight and smooth and call this the working edge1 or edge from which all measurements are to be taken4 ,square one end square with the working edge and the surface4 ,measure from this square end1 the length specified on the drawing1 and square a line across the board1 placing the try square handle tight against the working edge4 ,next take the cross-cut saw and saw carefully just outside your line on the side away from the piece to be cut off4 ,plane now back to the line and no further4 ,the width must next be obtained either with a marking gage1 if you have one1 set at the required distance1 or by measuring carefully with your ruler4 ,now saw and plane to your line4 ,treat each piece in this manner and mark with its proper letter1 to be ready for assembling later4 ,we shall consider1 for illustration1 that we are making the ,blue ,bird ,house shown in ,plate #c4 ,we have our pieces all cut out and numbered and shall now cut the shape of pieces ,a1 which are the front and rear of the house1 from our pieces that we have previously cut #h inches wide by #aj inches long4 ,illustration3 ,a ,school ,exhibit of ,bird ,houses at ,crosby-,ironton1 ,minn4 ,find the center of one end1 which will be one-half of #h inches or #d inches4 ,measure down on each side #d inches and draw from our edge center to these points4 ,find the center of our bottom edge next and measure #b inches each side to make our bottom edge #e inches wide1 as shown4 ,draw from the ends of this #e inch lines to our points on the sides and we are ready to carefully cut out the form as shown in the drawing4 ,always remember when sawing to a line to leave about #a_/af inch between our saw cut and the line and finish with a plane to the line4 ,be sure that the front and rear pieces are exactly the same size and shape to insure our house going together nicely later4 ,take the bottom piece ,e and draw light lines from corner to corner1 and with a dot locate the points where we are to bore our drainage holes4 ,in boring these take care not to split through on the opposite side4 ,locate the holes for ventilation next and bore these carefully4 ,illustration3 ,some ,bird ,houses ,made in the ,schools at ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y4 ,take our back brace ,f next and draw a light pencil line from end to end1 through the center1 and locate the holes for nailing to the tree #a inch in from either end4 ,the holes for screwing piece ,f to the box are #c inches beyond these outer holes4 ,bore carefully4 ,bore the entrance hole with an expansive bit set so as to bore a hole #a inch in diameter4 ,the center for this hole is #c inches down from the top and #d inches from either side4 ,if the house is to be painted it should be thoroughly sandpapered with ,no4 sandpaper1 going with the grain4 ,take the sides and bevel them to fit the front and back pieces1 that is plane them so that when they are placed in proper position against the front and rear1 the edges will follow the same sweep as the eaves and the bottom edge4 ,all cutting should be finished before sandpapering so as not to dull our plane blade with the fine particles of sand left in the wood by the sandpaper4 ,nail the sides to the front and rear1 using #a inch brads1 placing about five on each edge1 and taking care that they strike fair in the center of the edge to prevent splitting4 ,next nail on roof ,c1 having the rear edge flush with the rear of the box allowing all projection to come in front4 ,have ridge edge just level with peak4 ,next nail on roof ,b1 seeing that it overlaps and is nailed to the edge of ,c4 ,next attach piece ,f to the rear of the box with screws1 allowing equal projection above and below the box4 ,take the bottom ,e and screw on an inch butt hinge to the under side at the middle point of the rear edge4 ,then place in position and screw the other part of hinge to ,f1 taking care that the bottom fits tightly against the bottom edges of the box4 ,retain in front by means of a small flat hook and eye as shown4 ,illustration3 ,fig4 #ac4 ,a ,food ,shelter4 ,our box is now ready to be either painted or covered with bark as desired4 ,if it is to be bark covered use a pair of snip shears to cut the bark to the size required4 ,it is generally a good plan to cut the bark a little large and trim off after attaching it to the box4 ,use #d oz4 tacks1 using as few as possible4 ,have the bark run uniformly in the same direction over the box4 ,bark directly over all holes and when finished cut these out with a sharp knife4 ,if a house is to be painted and have a bark roof only1 paint first and allow to dry1 perhaps giving a second coat and then place the bark on the roof4 ,this same method of construction as described will be practically the same for any of the houses shown4 ,lumber should be used that will withstand the weather4 ,cypress1 spruce and soft pine are perhaps the best4 ,,winter ,,care ,,of ,,the ,,birds4 ,if you wish to attract birds about the house during the winter1 do not wait until the ground is covered with snow1 but begin in the ,fall to scatter hayseed from the barn or stable floor1 on the bare ground about the yard4 ,millet or any bird seed will do as well4 ,hang some pieces of suet or beef-trimmings on the branches of the trees beyond the reach of cats and dogs4 ,if at first these pieces are widely scattered at points radiating from the house as a center1 your success should be assured4 ,your lures will keep best at this season if tied on the shade side of a tree trunk2 but later in the winter they should be put on the sunny side4 ,they should be well wound to limbs with twine1 or covered with wire netting1 so that neither jays or crows can carry them off bodily4 ,they are now ready to attract and hold birds that might otherwise pass on to the south4 ,the birds may not find the food at once1 but usually they will find it sooner or later4 ,when the chickadees have discovered it we are ready for the next move4 ,fresh meat or suet is now put up on the trees nearest the house1 to accustom the birds to coming there4 ,many types of feeders can be made1 varying the plain wood shelf1 to the artistic food shelters of natural limbs and bark4 ,some feeders can be placed on movable pivots on poles with extended vanes in front so that the wind will always cause them to be in a sheltered position4 ,this type of feeding shelf1 ,fig4 #d1 and others are shown on ,plate #bj4 ,illustration3 ,birdhouses ,made at ,rochester1 ,n4 ,y4 ,the window shelf shown on ,plate #bj1 ,fig4 #a1 is convenient and can be easily watched and tended4 ,fig4 #b shows a feeding stick4 ,melted suet is poured into the holes and allowed to cool and the birds eat from the outside4 ,the cocoanut larder is inexpensive and easily set up4 ,one end of a cocoanut is broken in as shown and the birds have access to the meat4 ,fig4 #d is one type of rustic feeder which has proven popular4 ,the following birds have been attracted about local feeders3 ,chickadees1 ,fig4 #c1 nuthatches1 woodpeckers1 juncos1 and even the wary jay4 ,figure #ac shows a simple form of feeding shelf with sides of glass4 ,a hairy woodpecker can be seen just below the upper box4 ,corn1 suet1 scraps of meat1 crumbs from the table1 pieces of doughnut1 nuts1 sunflower seed1 frozen milk and many other food materials may be utilized1 if one wishes to experiment4 ,these methods of attracting and domesticating the birds will be found full of interest1 and in some cases our efforts will be rewarded by having some little feathered ball jump fearlessly on our fingers for a choice titbit4 ,the birds will furnish instruction and amusement to the household throughout the year and a vast amount of good may be accomplished in this manner1 adding greatly to the comfort and happiness of our wild bird friends4 ,,designs ,,for ,,bird ,,houses ,illustration3 ,,plate #a4 ,,blue ,,bird ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #b4 ,,blue ,,bird ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #c4 ,,blue ,,bird ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #d4 ,,blue ,,bird ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #e4 ,,blue ,,bird ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #f4 ,,box ,,for ,,robins ,illustration3 ,,plate #g4 ,,box ,,for ,,robins ,illustration3 ,,plate #h4 ,,box ,,for ,,wrens ,illustration3 ,,plate #i4 ,,double ,,wren ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #aj4 ,,downy ,,woodpecker ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #aa4 ,,box ,,for ,,hairy ,,woodpeckers ,illustration3 ,,plate #ab4 ,,flicker ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #ac4 ,,woodpecker ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #ad4 ,,nuthatch ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #ae4 ,,nuthatch ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #af4 ,,box ,,for ,,tree ,,swallow 7,,cat ,,proof7 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ag4 ,,titmouse ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #ah4 ,,chickadee ,,house ,illustration3 ,,plate #ai4 ,,houses ,,from ,,common ,,objects ,gourds4 ,tomato ,can4 ,flower pot4 ,milk can4 ,small keg4 ,small wooden box4 ,any discarded article of suitable size may be utilized for a nesting box1 those of wood being best4 ,metal objects should be placed in a cool shady place as they heat up very badly if exposed to the sun4 ,methods of keeping cats away4 ,illustration3 ,,plate #ai;,a4 ,,suggested ,,designs ,,for ,,boxes ,completely covered with bark ,barn roof1 painted body ,natural limb hollowed out ,cavity opened showing method of gouging and hinging ,illustration3 ,,plate #bj4 ,,feeding ,,devices ,drawings made from ,farmer's ,bulletin1 #fba ,,fig4 #a ,,food ,,shelf ,,fig4 #b ,,feeding ,,stick ,,fig4 #c ,,cocoanut ,,larder --,rustic ,food ,shelf-- ,to be attached to tree or side of house4 ,,fig4 #d ,,food ,,house ,,on ,,pivot