BIRD HOUSESBOYS CAN BUILD BY ALBERT F. SIEPERT, B. S. Professor of Manual Arts, Bradley Polytechnic InstituteEditor, Shop Problems Series (on tracing paper)Editor, Shop Notes and Problems Department ofMANUAL TRAINING MAGAZINE [Illustration] THE MANUAL ARTS PRESSPEORIA, ILLINOIS _Copyright 1916_The Manual Arts Press Fourth Edition, 1919 FOREWORD. Years ago a country boy heard or read that if a simple box having ahole of a certain size were set upon a post in March or early April itwould not be long before bluebirds would be around to see if the placewould do as a summer cottage. So he took an old paint keg such aswhite lead is sold in, nailed a cover across the top, cut an openingin the side and then placed it on a post ten or twelve feet high. Onlya day or two passed before a soft call-note was heard, a flash ofblue, and the songster had arrived. His mate came a few days later andthe paint keg with its tenants became the center of interest in mylife. A second brood was reared in midsummer and when the cool days ofSeptember came a fine flock left for the South. Each year the housewas occupied until the post decayed and the paint keg fell down, butin memory the sad call-note is still heard when spring comes, for itis house hunting time once more, and the bluebirds are looking for thehome they had known. That boys elsewhere may know the joy of the companionship of birds, this little book is written. Birds will come and live near the housesof men whenever food and water are to be had, safety from enemies isgiven, and when homes are built for them to replace the sheltersnature offered before men came with their cultivated fields andcrowded cities. The following pages give pictures and drawings ofhouses that boys have built and in which birds have lived. Thesehouses are planned for the species of birds that have becomeaccustomed to civilization so that they will inhabit the houses put upfor them. The author is indebted to Professor Chas. A. Bennett of BradleyInstitute and Mr. L. L. Simpson of The Manual Arts Press for helpfulsuggestions and encouragement; to John Friese for making the drawings;and to the following for the use of the originals of the illustrationswhich tell most of the story. Edward G. Anderson, Seattle, Wash. Figs. 32, 33, 34, 36, 39, 54, 55, 56, 57. Frank H. Ball, Pittsburgh, Pa. Figs. 12, 29, 45, 66, 67. Leon H. Baxter, St. Johnsbury, Vt. Figs. 21, 22. F. D. Crawshaw, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wis. Figs. 11, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44. Donald V. Ferguson, St. Paul, Minn. Figs. 9, 28, 38, 62. Geo. G. Grimm, Baltimore, Md. Fig. 14. C. M. Hunt, Milton, Mass. Figs. 46, 52. H. A. Hutchins, Cleveland, O. Figs. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. Elmer Knutson, St. Cloud, Minn. Figs. 30, 31. National Association of Audubon Societies, 1974 Broadway, New York City. Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Chas. Tesch, Milwaukee, Wis. Fig. 64. The Crescent Co. , Toms River, N. J. Figs. 35, 49, 50. United States Department of Agriculture Bulletins; Figs. 20, 51, 65. Youths Companion, Perry Mason Co. , Boston, Mass. Figs. 58, 59, 60, 61. ALBERT F. SIEPERT. Peoria, Ill. , March, 1916. CONTENTS PAGE. Birds That Live in Nesting Boxes 7 Bluebird--robin--chickadee--wren--house finch--woodpecker--flicker--martin Construction of Bird Houses 15 Dimensions of nesting boxes--houses of sawed lumber--rustic houses--cement and stucco houses Placing Houses 36 Feeding Shelves and Shelters 37 Foods Bird Baths 48 Bird Enemies 51 Men--ants and vermin--English or house sparrow--sparrow traps Bird House Exhibitions 54 Bibliography 57 Bird and bird house literature Index 59 BIRDS THAT LIVE IN NESTING BOXES. Certain varieties of birds will nest in homes built for them if thesehouses are of the right shape and dimensions. Other birds may be justas desirable but do not build nests and rear their young in boy-madenesting boxes. We are therefore mainly concerned with the first groupwhich select cavities in trees for their homes if nothing better is tobe found. [Illustration: FIG. 1. BLUE BIRDS, ADULTS AND YOUNG BIRD. ] BLUEBIRD. This bird may be found during the summer months in most of the stateseast of the Rocky Mountains, Figs. 1 and 59. It spends its winter inthe southern states and southward, returning north in March and April. The principal items of food are grasshoppers, caterpillars andbeetles. It should have a house measuring about 5" in length andwidth, inside measurements, and 8" or more in depth. The entrance holeshould be 1-1/2" in diameter and placed near the top, so that theyoung birds cannot get out until strong enough to have some chance ofescape from their enemies after they leave the nest. While authoritiesdiffer as to the need of cleaning after a season's use, it seems wiseto provide the house with some device whereby the bottom may beremoved for such purposes. Houses for this species are shown in Figs. 11, 21, 22 and 24. [Illustration: FIG. 2. (ROBIN)] ROBIN. Robins usually announce the coming of spring when they return to theirbreeding grounds in the northern states, where they are generalfavorites. Figs. 2 and 60. The nest is usually built of mud and linedwith grasses; placed in the fork of a tree or on some sheltered ledge. Robins take kindly to nesting shelves put up for them and it is wellto put up several since but one brood is reared in each nest built. This old nest should be removed after the young birds have gone. Asimple shelf is shown in the lower left hand corner of the photograph, Fig. 24, as well as in Figs. 20 and 49. [Illustration: FIG. 3. (CHICKADEES)] CHICKADEE. The chickadee is one of the brave little spirits who spends the entirewinter with us, Fig. 3. We can be of considerable service to himduring the cold weather by providing food shelters. During the summermonths his home is usually found in some decaying stump, hencenesting boxes of the rustic type placed in some remote spot of theorchard or park are most attractive to him. WREN. When all other song birds fail to take advantage of a house built forthem, the wren may still be counted on. Almost any sort of home from atin can or hollow gourd on up is satisfactory if put in a safe placeand provided with an opening 1" or slightly less in diameter, so thesparrows must stay out, Figs. 4 and 5. Good homes are shown in Figs. 10, 14, 15, 16 and others. [Illustration: FIG. 4. WREN AND RUSTIC HOUSE. ] HOUSE FINCH. The house finch has made many enemies because of its fondness forcultivated fruits and berries. However, it has some redeemingfeatures in its song and beauty. The nest is usually placed in thefork of a limb--evergreens being favorite nesting places. The houseshown in Fig. 51 is suitable for these birds but is also acceptable towrens. [Illustration: FIG. 5. WRENS. ] [Illustration: FIG. 6. FLICKER. ] WOODPECKER. The favorite of this interesting family is the little downy, Fig. 7. Living largely upon harmful grubs and insects, this bird does animmense amount of good by protecting our forests from insect scourges. Woodpeckers do not build nests as most birds do, but excavate a deepcavity in some dead tree leaving a quantity of chips at the bottom onwhich the eggs are laid. Nesting boxes should be of the rustic typemade as shown in Fig. 12, leaving some sawdust mixed with a littleearth in the cavity. These houses should be placed on trees in a parkor orchard. Boys should be able to tell the difference between thewoodpeckers beneficial to man and the sapsucker whose misdeeds oftencause considerable damage to fruit trees. A nuthatch is also seen inFig. 7 enjoying a meal of sunflower seed. [Illustration: FIG. 7. DOWNY WOODPECKER (ABOVE) NUTHATCH (BELOW). ] FLICKER. The flickers spend much of their time on the ground in search of antswhich form the larger percentage of their food. Since ants sometimescause considerable trouble for other birds, a pair of flickers areworth cultivating for the sake of the work they can do. Artificialnesting boxes of sufficient depth and size are quite readily used, Figs. 6, 20 and 25. MARTIN. Nearly everyone knows swallows of one variety or another. The mostbeautiful of the family are the martins, Fig. 8. This bird is of greatservice against the inroads of wasps, bugs and beetles. It prefers tolive in colonies even though the males fight bitterly at times. Martinhouses should have at least several rooms, each separate from all theothers. Houses have been built to accommodate fifty and more families. Smaller ones are shown in Figs. 8, 9, 13 and 45. [Illustration: FIG. 8. A MARTIN COLONY. ] [Illustration: FIG. 9. THE PEER GYNT COTTAGE FOR MARTINS. ] Fig. 9 is a miniature reproduction of Peer Gynt's cottage for a martinhouse. This house was not only an attractive thing to make, butmartins selected it for their home during the past summer. CONSTRUCTION OF BIRD HOUSES. Bird houses may be divided into three main classes: (1) those made ofsawed lumber to specified dimensions; (2) the rustic type made of (a)slabs of wood with the bark left on, or (b) pieces of tree trunk, or(c) of sawed lumber trimmed with bark or twigs; and (3) cement orstucco houses. In each case the entrance should slant slightly upwardto keep the rain out. [Illustration: FIG. 10. WREN HOUSES. ] Almost any sort of lumber may be used, but birds take most readily tothat which has been weathered out of doors. A kind should be usedwhich does not warp or check badly; white pine and cypress meet theserequirements and are worked with ease. Yellow poplar is used and cedarwith or without the bark left on has its friends for houses of thefirst or second classes. Nesting boxes of sawed lumber should be painted on the outside toimprove their appearance and to preserve them against the effect ofthe weather. It is often wise to leave a small amount of unpaintedsurface around the entrance, and all paint should be thoroughly drybefore houses are expected to be occupied. Colors selected will dependsomewhat upon the neighborhood, but white, grey, dull greens or brownsare often used. DIMENSIONS OF NESTING BOXES. The following table, copied from Farmers Bulletin, No. 609, U. S. Dept. Of Agriculture, gives in small space valuable information aboutdimensions that experience and investigation have indicated as goodfor particular varieties of birds. This list includes many varietiesthat do not commonly live in houses built for them, however. As timegoes on, we may expect to find more of these birds living in ournesting boxes because they are apt to seek the same sort of home asthe one in which they were reared. The table is given to be of serviceto those wishing to plan new houses not shown here. _Dimensions of nesting boxes for various species of birds. _ =================+==========+==========+==========+==========+========= | Floor | Depth | Entrance | Diameter | Height Species. | of | of | above | of | above | cavity. | cavity. | floor. | entrance. | ground. -----------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--------- | _Inches. _| _Inches. _| _Inches. _| _Inches. _| _Feet. _Bluebird | 5 by 5 | 8 | 6 | 1-1/2 | 5 to 10Robin | 6 by 8 | 8 | [1] | [1] | 6 to 15Chickadee | 4 by 4 | 8 to 10 | 8 | 1-1/8 | 6 to 15Tufted titmouse | 4 by 4 | 8 to 10 | 8 | 1-1/4 | 6 to 15White-breasted | | | | | nuthatch | 4 by 4 | 8 to 10 | 8 | 1-1/4 | 12 to 20House wren | 4 by 4 | 6 to 8 | 1 to 6 | 7/8 | 6 to 10Bewick wren | 4 by 4 | 6 to 8 | 1 to 6 | 1 | 6 to 10Carolina wren | 4 by 4 | 6 to 8 | 1 to 6 | 1-1/8 | 6 to 10Dipper | 6 by 6 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 1 to 3Violet-green | | | | | swallow | 5 by 5 | 6 | 1 to 6 | 1-1/2 | 10 to 15Tree swallow | 5 by 5 | 6 | 1 to 6 | 1-1/2 | 10 to 15Barn swallow | 6 by 6 | 6 | [1] | [1] | 8 to 12Martin | 6 by 6 | 6 | 1 | 2-1/2 | 15 to 20Song sparrow | 6 by 6 | 6 | [2] | [2] | 1 to 3House finch | 6 by 6 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 to 12Phoebe | 6 by 6 | 6 | [1] | [1] | 8 to 12Crested | | | | | flycatcher | 6 by 6 | 8 to 10 | 8 | 2 | 8 to 20Flicker | 7 by 7 | 16 to 18 | 16 | 2-1/2 | 6 to 20Red-headed | | | | | woodpecker | 6 by 6 | 12 to 15 | 12 | 2 | 12 to 20Golden-fronted | | | | | woodpecker | 6 by 6 | 12 to 15 | 12 | 2 | 12 to 20Hairy woodpecker | 6 by 6 | 12 to 15 | 12 | 1-1/2 | 12 to 20Downy woodpecker | 4 by 4 | 8 to 10 | 8 | 1-1/4 | 6 to 20Screech owl | 8 by 8 | 12 to 15 | 12 | 3 | 10 to 30Sparrow hawk | 8 by 8 | 12 to 15 | 12 | 3 | 10 to 30Saw-whet owl | 6 by 6 | 10 to 12 | 10 | 2-1/2 | 12 to 20Barn owl | 10 by 18 | 15 to 18 | 4 | 6 | 12 to 18Wood duck | 10 by 18 | 10 to 15 | 3 | 6 | 4 to 20-----------------+----------+----------+----------+----------+--------- [Footnote 1: One or more sides open. ] [Footnote 2: All sides open. ] HOUSES OF SAWED LUMBER. The boy with an outfit of tools at home, or with a teacher of manualtraining interested in birds, can make all of the houses to bedescribed in this section. Figs. 10 and 11 show simple houses forwrens and bluebirds. Drawings for this type of house are shown inFigs. 14, 15 and 21. While the surfaces of lumber used for thesehouses may or may not be planed, care must be taken that all piecesare sawed or planed to the correct sizes with edges and ends squareand true so there will be no bad cracks for drafts and rain to enter. Be careful to nail the pieces together so that they will not haveoccasion to crack or warp. A good way to save time and lumber is toprepare a piece of stock, getting it of the right thickness, width andlength, and then to saw up this stock on lines carefully laid out asshown in the drawings of the bluebird and wren houses, flicker nest, robin shelf and finch house. The most difficult houses to build arethose for martins. In Fig. 45 is given a drawing for a small homearranged to care for eight families, while the photographs, Figs. 8, 9, 38, 66 and 67 show larger, finer and more difficult houses. Thedoors or openings are 2-1/2" in diameter and can be made with anexpansion bit or a key-hole saw. All of these houses are to be made sothey may be cleaned. Sometimes the bottom is hinged on two screws ornails, and held in proper place by a dowel (bluebird house, Fig. 21);or screwed in place (wren house, Fig. 21, and martin house, Fig. 45);or hinged and held in place by a brass spring (wren house, Fig. 14). [Illustration: FIG. 11. HOUSES FOR WRENS AND BLUEBIRDS. ] [Illustration: FIG. 12. RUSTIC HOUSES. ] RUSTIC HOUSES. The first group of houses of this type are shown in Figs. 12, 35 and36. These are made of slabs of wood with the bark left on, and in somecases, of the bark alone if it can be secured of sufficient thickness. It is usually a good plan to drive a sufficient number of nails intothe bark to keep it in place, otherwise it will drop off. Houses suchas these attract birds that would avoid a freshly painted imitation ofsome large residence or public building. Figs. 20 and 37 show housesmade of a section of a tree split or sawed in halves, the nest cavityhollowed out, and then fastened together again with screws. The topshould be covered with a board or piece of tin to keep out rain. Thethird division of this type of house is made of sawed lumber and thentrimmed with bark or twigs. In this way the same frames may be made toappear as very different bird houses when completed. Such houses areshown in Figs. 30 to 34. Sometimes a pail is used for the frame andthen covered with bark, as the center house of Fig. 28. This house hasa partition placed half-way up making it a two family apartment, andis provided with ventilating and cleaning devices. CEMENT AND STUCCO HOUSES. Houses may be cast of concrete as Fig. 39. This requires a mold orform, and takes considerable planning to insure success. A form ismade whose inside dimensions are those of the outside of the birdhouse, and of the desired shape. A second form, or core, to be placedinside of the first form, is made as large as the inside of the birdhouse. The two forms must be mounted so they will remain in the rightrelation while concrete is placed in the space between them. Afterthis has set, the forms may be removed, cleaned and used again. Theroof is generally made separately and put in position last. Or theroof can be cast as a part of the house in which case the bottom isinserted last. Birds do not take as kindly to this type of house as arule, as to those made of wood. [Illustration: FIG. 13. STUCCO HOUSE FOR MARTINS. ] The stucco house has many possibilities. Fig. 38, shows a group ofsuch houses designed to match the general appearance of garages ingood residence districts. The frame is made of wood and the stuccoapplied by one of the methods in use on large houses. Seventh gradeboys have made such houses, using 3/8" material for the frames, tacking on wire netting and then plastering each side of the house inturn with concrete. The sides were given a pebble-dash surface, whilethe roof was finished with a steel trowel to give a smooth surfacethat will shed water readily, Fig. 13. [Illustration: FIG. 14. (WREN HOUSE)] [Illustration: FIG. 15. (WREN HOUSE)] A CAREFULLY PLANNED PROJECT IS SHOWN IN VARIOUS STAGES OF COMPLETIONIN FIGS. 15-19. [Illustration: FIG. 16. WREN HOUSE. ] [Illustration: FIG. 17. ECONOMY OF TIME AND MATERIAL WHEN LAID OUT INTHIS MANNER. ] [Illustration: FIG. 18. ASSEMBLING BIRD HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 19. FINISHING BIRD HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 20. (FLICKER HOUSE MOUNTED ON POST OR TREE), (HOMEFOR WOODPECKERS), (OUTDOOR NEST SHELF FOR BARN SWALLOWS, PHOEBES ANDROBINS)] [Illustration: FIG. 21. (BLUEBIRD HOUSE), (WREN HOUSE), (WOODPECKERHOUSE)] [Illustration: FIG. 22. HOUSES BUILT BY STUDENTS AT ST. JOHNSBURY, VT. ] [Illustration: FIG. 23. (CHICKADEE HOUSE)] [Illustration: FIG. 24. WREN, BLUE BIRD AND ROBIN HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 25. (FLICKER OR WOODPECKER HOUSE)] [Illustration: FIG. 26. (WREN BOX)] [Illustration: FIG. 27. (FLYCATCHER HOME)] [Illustration: FIG. 28. RUSTIC HOUSES MADE BY ST. PAUL, MINN. BOYS. ] [Illustration: FIG. 29. RUSTIC HOUSES MADE BY PITTSBURGH, PA. BOYS. ] [Illustration: FIG. 30. SIMPLE LOG AND BIRCHBARK CONSTRUCTION, HOUSESFOR WRENS, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. ] [Illustration: FIG. 31. BIRCH BARK HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 32. GOOD TYPES OF SMALL HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 33. GOOD TYPES OF SMALL HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 34. A QUAINT BIRD HOME. ] [Illustration: FIG. 35. A HOUSE OF CEDAR SLABS FOR JENNY WREN. ] [Illustration: FIG. 36. MAKING BIRD HOUSES TO ORDER. ] [Illustration: FIG. 37. CONSTRUCTION OF A WOODPECKER'S HOME. A MARTIN, OR TREE SWALLOW HOME. ] [Illustration: FIG. 38. STUCCO HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 39. CONCRETE HOUSES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 40. READY TO PLACE FINISHED HOUSES. ] PLACING HOUSES. The table given on page 16 states the height from the ground thatdifferent species of birds seem to prefer for their nests, to whichseveral suggestions may be added. The houses should be so located thatcats and other bird enemies do not have easy access to them. Theopenings ought to be turned away from the directions from which stormsand winds most often come; and the house must hang or tilt so raindoes not run in at the entrance. Such birds as the woodpeckers spendmost of their time in the trees and so do not take as readily to ahouse set on a pole out in the open as martins or bluebirds. Flickersare seen on the ground a good share of the time in search of theirfavorite food, and so will frequently live in houses nailed to fenceposts. Houses are more apt to be occupied if placed in position infall or winter before the spring migration, especially houses made offreshly dressed or newly painted wood. However, such birds as therobin and bluebird rear more than one brood each season and so a houseset up in May or June may have a tenant. Figs. 40 to 44 show boys ofthe University of Wisconsin High School placing some of the housesthey had made. [Illustration: FIG. 41. (PLACING HOUSES)] [Illustration: FIG. 42. (PLACING HOUSES)] [Illustration: FIG. 43. (PLACING HOUSES)] [Illustration: FIG. 44. (PLACING HOUSES)] FEEDING SHELVES AND SHELTERS. Nesting boxes make their appeal to but a part of the birds of anycommunity. These attract during the early spring and summer months. Many other species are worth having in our orchards and gardens fortheir songs and their activity in destroying insects and weed seeds. To these some other attraction than nesting boxes must be offered. Then again, many birds would spend a longer time with us if a certainfood supply were assured them. A simple suet feeder is shown in Fig. 45. The birds cling to the chicken wire while eating. A feeding boxfor seed-eating birds is given in Fig. 46. Fig. 47 gives a shelf to benailed to the sunny side of a building, while Fig. 48 shows a somewhatsimilar type to be fastened to a window sill, making it possible toobserve the birds that come to dine. Birds that hesitate to come closeto buildings may be attracted by the feeders set out in the open. Fig. 50 shows a feeder mounted on an iron pipe so it can be turned in anydirection. This feeder has one end closed by a pane of glass, and isto be turned so that prevailing winds do not enter. Fig. 49 shows afeeding shelf for winter use which makes an acceptable robin nestingshelf in spring. In Fig. 53 is given a feeder mounted on a base with avane so the adjustment takes place automatically. Figs. 51 and 52 showtwo food shelters considerably more difficult to construct. They haveglass on all sides, and are open at the bottom so that birds can enteror leave at will. Fig. 30 shows a simple food shelter offering someprotection against rain and snow, while a very attractive group ofshelters are given in Figs. 54, 55, 56 and 57. If you look closely youmay see "Mabel" in the right hand feeder in Fig. 54. The builder ofthese shelters found her so positive about her rights--since shediscovered the food supply--that he has been obliged to put up theothers to keep peace. [Illustration: FIG. 45. (MARTIN HOUSE), (SUET FEEDER)] [Illustration: FIG. 46. (NESTING BOX FOR BLUEBIRDS), (FEEDING BOX)] [Illustration: FIG. 47. (FEEDING SHELF)] [Illustration: FIG. 48. (WINDOW FOOD SHELTER)] [Illustration: FIG. 49. ROBIN SHELF OR FEEDING SHELF. ] [Illustration: FIG. 50. HILBERSDORFER FOOD HOUSE. ] [Illustration: FIG. 51. (HOUSE FOR HOUSE FINCHES), (FOOD SHELTERHOUSE)] [Illustration: FIG. 52. (SHELTERED FOOD HOUSE)] [Illustration: FIG. 53. (ADJUSTABLE FOOD SHELTER)] [Illustration: FIG. 54. (FOOD SHELTERS)] [Illustration: FIG. 55. WHEN THE SHELTER IS MOST NEEDED. ] [Illustration: FIG. 56. BIRDS SHOULD FIND THESE FOOD SHELTERS BEFOREBAD WEATHER COMES. ] [Illustration: FIG. 57. A "JAPANESE" EFFECT. ] The window-sill lunch counter shown in Figs. 58 and 61 is a mosteffective way to study birds at close range. The window selected forthis purpose should be on a quiet and sheltered side of the house ifpossible. If trees and shrubbery are near at hand birds are morelikely to be attracted. Branches of thorn apples, alders andevergreens are fastened firmly to the window frames to dress the lunchcounter on the outside while house plants or at least a curtainshould be placed on the inside as a screen. Fig. 59 shows howparticular varieties of birds may be attracted by offering favoritefoods while Fig. 60 gives an idea of what kindness will do. [Illustration: FIG. 58. THE BIRD WINDOW SEEN FROM INSIDE THE ROOM. ] [Illustration: FIG. 59. BLUEBIRDS ATTRACTED TO THE WINDOW SILL BY MEALWORMS. ] [Illustration: FIG. 60. A ROBIN ABOUT TO EAT FROM THE CHILDREN'SHANDS. ] [Illustration: FIG. 61. THE WINDOW-SILL LUNCH COUNTER FROM OUTSIDE. ] FOODS. Food shelters become centers of interest in proportion to the numberof birds attracted to them. The kind of food placed there determinesin time the kind of birds that will be found frequenting them. Seed-eating birds are readily attracted by the use of small grainssuch as oats and wheat. However, every farmer finds a quantity ofweed seeds upon cleaning his seed grain, which proves very acceptableto chickadees and blue jays. Bread crusts or crumbs, crackers anddoughnuts may be placed in the food shelter with the knowledge thatthe birds will eat them. For those of the city who would need to buyseeds, it will be just as well to get hemp, millet, canary seed andsunflower seed, together with the small grains and cracked corn forfoods. Suet, scraps of meat and various vegetable scraps, such ascelery, lettuce, apples, raisins, and the berries of various bushes, if they can be obtained, are relished. Bluebirds seem fond of mealworms such as develop in old cereals. All birds require water andfrequently suffer because this is not to be had. If it is possible tomeet this need a great service is rendered. Finally, when the groundis snow covered, many birds appreciate a supply of sand and finelyground poultry grit. Many birds are lost each winter because ofinsufficient food during inclement weather, that if cared for wouldremain near neighbors in the summer to wage war upon insect pests. BIRD BATHS. The best bird baths have to meet two requirements: (a) clean, freshwater, and (b) safety from enemies. Almost any shallow dish will meetboth requirements if properly placed and cared for. [Illustration: FIG. 62. THE PALM GARDEN EXHIBIT OF BIRD BATHS, ETC. , ST. PAUL, MINN. ] [Illustration: FIG. 63. (CONCRETE BIRD BATH)] Fig. 62 shows several baths made of concrete. The pedestal and basinare made of two separate pieces, and are cast in a form or mold. Amore difficult concrete bath is shown in Fig. 63. This project is madein four pieces. The base consists of two parts, the bottom being castin a form made of 1/2" or 7/8" stock. The upper part is "swept up" bymeans of the templet shown, which revolves about an iron rod or adowel-rod firmly fastened above, and held below in a hole bored in atemporary base of wood. The column is cast in a mold made of sheet tinor galvanized iron run thru tinners' rolls, and held by means ofseveral wires twisted about it. When this is being cast two pieces ofiron rod are inserted as shown which are to pass into both bowl andbase to make the whole job firm. The bowl may be swept by either oftwo methods. The first consists of the making of two templets. Withthe first templet a core of clay is swept up of the desired depth anddiameter. Then concrete is placed over this core, which has previouslybeen treated to a coat of oil. Woven wire is cut into a circular shapeand bent to approximate the curve of the bowl. More concrete is placedover this, and swept up by means of the second templet. Somedifficulty will be experienced in removing the templet if undercut asmuch as shown; however, the mark where it was taken off can easilybe troweled smooth again. The finished pieces are now assembled with asmall quantity of "neat" cement in each joint. The second method formaking the bowl begins with the making of templets cut on the oppositeside of the outline, as compared with the first method. A box is thennailed up and a clay or plaster-of-paris base made. This is oiled, andthe concrete put in place. In this case a wetter mixture than in thefirst case should be used. The second templet is then used to strikeoff the inside of the bowl. After this has set the pieces may beassembled as before. BIRD ENEMIES. One sometimes wonders that birds manage to exist and to actuallyincrease in numbers. Possibly the first group of enemies shouldinclude men and boys who kill adult birds, leaving the fledglings tostarve, or who rob the nests of eggs. It is the writer's belief thatevery boy who makes one or more of the projects in this booklet, andsees it occupied, will become one of a growing number who will carefor instead of destroy the birds of his neighborhood. Further, ifevery man who now thoughtlessly or willfully destroys birds, knew thereal money value of the work birds do, he would build or buy housesand food shelters to increase Nature's best friends to mankind. The second group of enemies include ants and other vermin which attimes infest nests and nesting boxes, snakes, squirrels, mice andrats. Protection against this group is afforded by bands of tin aboutthe pole, or spikes of wood or metal pointing downward so that accessis impossible by climbing up the pole. Another protection is to makethe entrance holes small enough to admit only the occupant for whomthe house was intended. Of course, the houses for the larger birdsmust be protected in other ways. Charles Tesch of Milwaukee suggests asticky fly paper compound made of resin (melted) and castor oil as apreventive for the inroads of the small red ant, if suitable supportis available. The final group consists of the two worst foes of bird life, cats andEnglish or house sparrows. If you really value the birds that havebeen reared in the house you have built you may need to get up _early_more than one morning when the youngsters leave the nest to protectthem from the highly respectable (?) tabby that lives possibly nextdoor if not at your own house. It often comes to a choice between catsand birds: and the cats may be disposed of in two ways--the right kindof box traps for the homeless and unknown robbers, and an air riflewith sufficient "sting" for the trespasser from next door. A fewlessons of this kind usually have some effect. The English or house sparrow was introduced into this country about ahalf-century ago. It has spread over practically all of the UnitedStates and Southern Canada. Possibly no bird has exhibited such powersof adapting itself to new conditions. The sparrow is no respecter ofplaces for locating its nest. It lives on a variety of foods changingfrom one to another as the necessity arises. In spite of opposition, this bird is constantly on the increase, so much so that in many casesmore desirable native birds have been obliged to leave. The sparrow isfilthy and quarrelsome, and lives mainly upon valuable small grains inevery case where this is possible. There are two methods possiblewhich afford partial relief: (1) traps and (2) driving them away withan air-rifle. Traps are usually successful for a comparatively brieftime, since the sparrows soon associate the trap with danger and soavoid it. A very successful type of woven wire trap is advocated bythe Department of Agriculture but is probably beyond the ability ofthe average boy to make well. It sells by commercial manufacturers ofbird supplies for about $4. 00. This trap works all the year around asit depends upon the attraction of food. Fig. 65 gives a simple, yeteffective trap. However, it requires the presence of some hiddenobserver to spring it at the right moment. Another type of trap isbased upon the nest-house idea. Its effectiveness is limited largelyto the nesting season, though it may be used by the birds for shelter. One of the most efficient traps was invented by Charles Tesch, ofMilwaukee, Wis. Its principle is that of a tipping chamber leadinginto a sack thru a chute. Fig. 64 gives the dimensions to be followedin making such a trap. The inventor says that the bag should be farenough away from the box to make certain that the victim has no chanceto tell the others what happened to him by chirping, otherwise theywill no longer enter the trap. The box must be perfectly tight inorder to prevent drafts from issuing thru the entrance which willcause sparrows to keep away. If a few feathers are glued or shellackedto the tipping chamber floor, the sparrow is often attracted morestrongly. The bag should be examined frequently to liberate bluebirdsand wrens, who may have been caught. [Illustration: FIG. 64. (SPARROW TRAP)] [Illustration: FIG. 65. (SPARROW TRAP)] However, fighting bird enemies without the cooperation of neighbors isnot an easy matter. In the case of sparrows, so many more are leftthat traps alone are ineffective. An airgun properly used offers somehelp in the city to drive them away from the premises, while a shotgun or 22 caliber rifle are more effective in the country. If everysparrow nest were torn down and no place given them in yourneighborhood, the pest is likely to avoid your grounds. Finally, keepnesting boxes free from sparrows while the owners are away for thewinter. BIRD HOUSE EXHIBITIONS. Many cities are beginning to do excellent work along the lines of birdpreservation and attraction. This usually leads into an exhibition orcontest, though many times quantities of houses are made and sold forother purposes, such as raising money for athletic suits for theschool teams. At Cleveland, Ohio, a large number of houses such as are shown inFigs. 15-19 were made for the city Bird Lovers' Association to beplaced in the city parks. The boys received the profits of the saleafter materials were paid for. In the Mercer Center, Seattle, Wash. , the boys wanted suits for the "team. " Bird houses were made in dozenlots for a large department store, and soon the boys had all the moneythe suits cost. Fig. 36 shows a group of 7th grade boys with thehouses made in two class periods of two hours each. At St. Paul, Minn. , the annual exhibit has become a larger affair than theautomobile show. This year it will be held in the city auditoriumwhich seats 10, 000 people. The city council will pay the rent of thisbuilding for a week and the boys will see that it is filled with birdhouses. Up to date (March 11, 1916) over $1, 000 worth of orders havebeen taken for houses to be delivered after the exhibition. Fig. 62shows the palm room at the St. Paul exhibit in 1915. The county makingthe most bird houses in 1915, so far as has been reported, wasAllegheny County, Pa. , where approximately 15, 000 houses wereproduced. Fig. 67 shows the prize winners in a department storecontest at Pittsburgh, Pa. , while an exhibit in the same city is shownin Fig. 66. [Illustration: FIG. 66. THE PITTSBURGH EXHIBIT. ] [Illustration: FIG. 67. PRIZEWINNERS IN DEPARTMENT STORE CONTEST. ] Space will not permit giving extended rules for such contests sincethe rules must vary with each city. Briefly, there should be provisionmade to give all competitors an equal chance. Boys of the 6th gradeshould meet others of that grade. Prizes may be awarded for the besthouses made for the more common birds, such as wrens, bluebirds, andmartins. These should be judged as to adaptability or fitness topurpose, amount of protection afforded to birds, good workmanship andartistic merit. A prize might be awarded to the boy whose house hasthe first pair of birds nesting in it. Prizes may be of many kinds, but tools and books, as well as cash prizes are often given by localbusiness men. WHERE MORE INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED. U. S. Dept. Of Agriculture, Division of Publications: Bird Houses andHow to Build Them, Bulletin No. 609; Fifty Common Birds, Bulletin No. 513 (15 cents); The English Sparrow as a Pest, Bulletin No. 493. Magazines which have published articles on birds and bird houses: BirdLore; Country Life; The Craftsman; Elementary School Teacher; Ladies'Home Journal; Manual Training and Vocational Education; Outing;Outlook; School Arts Magazine; Something To Do; The Farm Journal; TheNational Geographic Magazine; Youths Companion. National Association of Audubon Societies: Leaflets, photographs, advice. Liberty Bell Bird Club of The Farm Journal, Philadelphia, Pa. :Leaflets, books, pictures, supplies, inspiration. Public Library: Reed, "Bird Guide"; Blackburn, "Problems in FarmWoodwork"; Chapman, "Bird Life"; Hiesemann, "How to Attract WildBirds"; National Geographic Society, "Common Birds of Town andCountry"; Trafton, "Methods of Attracting Birds. " Catalogs of Bird House Companies: Audubon Bird House Co. , Meriden, NewHampshire; "Bird Architecture" Crescent Co. , Toms River, N. J. (20cents); Joseph H. Dodson, 728 Security Bldg. , Chicago, Ill. ; "BirdHouses Large and Small, " Mathews Mfg. Co. , Cleveland, Ohio; Charles E. White, Box 45B, Kenilworth, Ill. ; The Wheatley Pottery, 2429 ReadingRoad, Cincinnati, Ohio. INDEX (Numbers refer to pages) A Adjustable food shelters, 41, 44 Ants, 51 Audubon Association, 57 B Bibliography, 57 Birchbark houses, 30, 32 Bird Architecture, 57 Bird baths, 48, 49, 50 Bird enemies, 51 Bird Houses and How to Build Them, 57 Bird house exhibitions, 54 Bird Houses Large and Small, 57 Bird house manufacturers, 57 Birds that live in nesting boxes, 7 Bluebirds, 7, 46 Bluebird houses, 17, 25, 26, 27, 30, 39 Books about birds, 57 C Cats, 51 Cement and stucco houses, 19, 34, 35 Chickadee, 9 Chickadee houses, 18, 26 Construction of bird houses, 15 Construction of Woodpecker's home, 24, 34 Contests, 56 Contributors, 3, 4 D Dimensions of nesting boxes, 16 Downy Woodpecker, 12 E Enemies of birds, 51 English Sparrows, 52 Exhibitions of bird houses, 54 F Feeding shelves and shelters, 37, 42, 43, 44, 45 Feeding box for seed eating birds, 39 Feeding shelf for side of building, 40 Finch, 10 Flicker, 11, 12 Flicker homes, 24, 27 Flycatcher home, 29 Foods, 46 H Hilbersdorfer feeder, 41 House Finch, 10 Houses covered with bark or twigs, 30, 31, 32, 33 Houses for Bluebirds, 17, 25, 26, 27, 39 Houses for Chickadees, 18, 26 House for Finches, 42 Houses for Flickers, 24, 27 House for Flycatchers, 29 Houses for Martins, 13, 14, 38 Houses for Robins, 24, 27 Houses for Woodpeckers, 24, 25 Houses for Wrens, 10, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28, 30 Houses of sawed lumber, 16 Houses of slabs, 33 L Log houses, 28, 29, 30 M Magazines which have published bird articles, 57 Martins, 13 Martin houses, 13, 14, 38 N Nuthatch feeding on sunflower seeds, 12 O Opening for various bird houses, 16 P Pointing houses, 15 Palm garden exhibit of bird baths, 49 Pittsburgh, Pa. Exhibit, 55 Placing houses, 35, 36, 37 Protection against enemies, 51 R Robin, 8, 46 Robin shelves, 24, 27, 41 Rules for bird house contests, 56 Rustic houses, 18, 28, 29 S Seed feeder, 39 Shelters, bird house, 37, 42, 43, 44, 45 Sizes of entrances and houses, 16 Sparrows, 52 Sparrow traps, 53, 54 Stucco houses, 19, 34 Suet feeder, 38 T Table of dimensions of houses, 16 Time for placing houses, 37 Traps for sparrows, 53, 54 V Vermin, 40 W Wall feeding shelf, 40 Window feeding shelf, 40 Window sill lunch counter, 45, 46, 47 Woodpeckers, 11, 12 Woodpecker houses, 24, 25 Wood suitable for making houses, 15 Wrens, 10, 11 Wren houses, 10, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 25, 27, 28 MANUAL TRAINING TOYS FOR THE BOY'S WORKSHOP By HARRIS W. MOORESupervisor of Manual Training, Watertown, Mass. A COLLECTION OF FORTY-TWO PROJECTSOVERFLOWING WITH "BOY" INTEREST A popular boys' book that is truly educational. The projects are allnew in the manual training shop. The text gives instructions formaking each project and treats of tools and tool processes. Thefollowing is a partial list-- WindmillsKitesWater WheelsWater MotorsPumpsBoatPile DriverKite String ReelCannonDartsBuzzersTopsGunsWhistlesBow and ArrowsSwordsBoxesTelephone THIRTY-FIVE FULL-PAGE PLATES OF WORKING DRAWINGS PRICE, POSTPAID, $1. 15 * * * * * KITECRAFTAND KITE TOURNAMENTS By CHARLES M. MILLERAssistant Supervisor of Manual TrainingLos Angeles, California KITES--AEROPLANES--TOURNAMENTS A comprehensive and reliable treatment of kites and kite flying. Mr. Miller, the author of the book, for a number of years past, has made awonderful success of kite flying in the schools of Los Angeles, California. The book deals with general kite construction, tells howto make all kinds of kites and how to fly them. Describes kiteaccessories and how to decorate kites. It also describes theconstruction and use of moving devices, messengers, suspended figuresand appliances, balloons and parachutes. Four chapters treat of aeroplanes, gliders and model aeroplanes, together with one on propellers, motors, gears and winding devices. The book contains over 267 illustrations, photographs, drawings, anddiagrams. PRICE, POSTPAID, $1. 50 * * * * * THE MANUAL ARTS PRESS, PEORIA, ILLINOIS CHOICE BOOKS FOR BOYS * * * * * FOR HOME AND SCHOOL LIBRARIES DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION IN WOOD. =BY WILLIAM NOYES. = A book full of charm and distinction and the firstto give due consideration to the esthetic side of woodworking. It isintended to give to beginners practice in designing simple projects inwood and an opportunity to acquire skill in handling tools. The bookillustrates a series of projects and gives suggestions for othersimilar projects together with information regarding tools andprocesses for making. A pleasing volume abundantly and beautifullyillustrated. Price, $1. 75. HANDWORK IN WOOD. =BY WILLIAM NOYES. = A handbook for teachers and a textbook for normalschool and college students. The best reference book available forteachers of woodworking. A comprehensive and scholarly treatise, covering logging, saw-milling, seasoning and measuring, hand tools, wood fastenings, equipment and care of the shop, the common joints, types of wood structures, principles of joinery, and wood finishing. Price, $2. 25. WOOD AND FOREST. =BY WILLIAM NOYES. = Treats of wood, distribution of American forests, life of the forest, enemies of the forest, destruction, conservationand uses of the forest, with a key to the common woods by FilibertRoth. Describes 67 principal species of wood with maps of the habitat, leaf drawings, life size photographs and microphotographs of sections. Contains a general bibliography of books and articles on wood andforest. Profusely illustrated with photographs from the United Statesforest service and with pen and ink drawings by Anna Gausmann Noyesand photographs by the author. Price, $3. 50. ESSENTIALS OF WOODWORKING. =BY IRA S. GRIFFITH. = A clear and comprehensive treatment ofwoodworking tools, materials, and processes. It is illustrated withphotographs and numerous pen drawings. The standard textbook forstudents beginning woodworking. Price, 75 cents. ART METALWORK. =BY ARTHUR F. PAYNE. = A textbook written by an expert craftsman andexperienced teacher. It treats of the various materials and theirproduction, ores, alloys, commercial forms, etc. ; of tools andequipments suitable for the work; the inexpensive equipment of thepractical craftsman; and of the correlation of art metalwork withdesign and other school subjects. It describes in detail all theprocesses involved in making articles ranging from a watch fob to asilver loving-cup. It is abundantly and beautifully illustrated, showing work done by students under ordinary school conditions in amanual training shop. The standard book on the subject. Price, $2. 00. * * * * * THE MANUAL ARTS PRESS, PEORIA, ILLINOIS CHOICE BOOKS FOR BOYS THE "PROBLEMS SERIES" FOR EITHER HOME OR SCHOOL USE PROBLEMS IN FARM WOODWORK. =BY SAMUEL A. BLACKBURN. = A book of working drawings of 100 practicalproblems relating to agriculture and farm life. There are 60 full-pageplates of working drawings, each accompanied by a page or more of texttreating of "Purpose, " "Material, " "Bill of Stock, " "Tools, ""Directions" and "Assembly. " A wonderfully practical book. Price, $1. 25. PROJECTS FOR BEGINNING WOODWORK AND MECHANICAL DRAWING. =BY IRA S. GRIFFITH. = Consists of working drawings and workingdirections. The projects are such as have proved of exceptionalservice where woodworking and mechanical drawing are taught in athoro, systematic manner in the seventh and eighth grades. The 50projects in the book have been selected and organized with theconstant aim of securing the highest educational results. Price, $1. 00. PROBLEMS IN WOODWORKING. =BY M. W. MURRAY. = A convenient collection of good problems consistingof 40 plates of working drawings of problems in bench work that havebeen successfully worked out by boys in grades seven to nine, inclusive. Price 75 cents. PROBLEMS IN FURNITURE MAKING. =BY FRED D. CRAWSHAW. = Contains 43 full-page working drawings ofarticles of furniture. Every piece shown is appropriate andserviceable in the home. In addition to the working drawings, there isa perspective sketch of each article completed. There 36 pages of textgiving notes on the construction of each project, chapters on the"Design, " and "Construction" of furniture, and one on "Finishes. "Price, $1. 00. FURNITURE MAKING--ADVANCED PROJECTS IN WOODWORK. =BY IRA S. GRIFFITH. = Consists of 50 plates of problems andaccompanying notes. It is essentially a collection of problems infurniture making, selected and designed with reference to school use. On the plate with each working drawing is a good perspective sketch ofthe completed object. In draftsmanship and refinement of design theseproblems are of superior quality. It is in every respect an excellentcollection. Price, 95 cents. PROBLEMS IN WOOD-TURNING. =BY FRED D. CRAWSHAW. = A textbook on the science and art ofwood-turning. Contains 25 full-page plates of working drawingscovering spindle, face-plate, and chuck turning. It is a clear, practical and suggestive book on wood-turning, and a valuable textbookfor students' use. Price, 50 cents. PROBLEMS IN MECHANICAL DRAWING. =BY CHARLES A. BENNETT. = With drawings made by Fred D. Crawshaw. Astudents' textbook consisting of 80 plates classified into groupsaccording to principle and arranged according to difficulty ofsolution. Price, 75 cents. * * * * * THE MANUAL ARTS PRESS, PEORIA, ILLINOIS * * * * * Transcriber's Notes Index has been added to the Table of Contents. Some illustrations have been moved to paragraph breaks to prevent thebreakup of text. Page references match the original book. Descriptivetitles in parentheses have been added to images which originally hadonly a Fig. Number for a caption. Page 13: FIG. 8. A MARTIN COLONYS was changed to A MARTIN COLONY. Page 14: The two occurrences of Pere Gynt were changed to Peer Gynt. Page 15: thoroly was changed to thoroughly. Page 51: oposite was changed to opposite. Page 54, now Page 52: shellaced was changed to shellacked. Templet(s) used 7 times; retained. Thru, used 3 times; retained. Page 63: thoro; retained. Bold text is indicated with the = symbol.