212 Bird- Lore
so as to allow water to drain 0th placed high enough from the ground to be out of cat-range. to hold the food, tional precaution. a fen nails may be driven at a downward angle of as” into the post. tree. or building upon which it rests.
Tlt' sweepings of granary or hay~loft. cracked
As an addir
shelf should be spread with crumbs.
corn, nuts, and pounded dog-biscuits. while'
upright twigs of a near—by tree should be sharpened close to the trunk to hold the lumps of suet craved by all insect-eaters like the Woodpeckers. Nuthatches. Chickadees and Brown Creepers.
Protected boxes in the south side of brush- heaps or in the center of the stacks of corn- stalks left standing in fields. kept supplied with grain-sweepings or cracked corn, will make a vast diti‘erence with the Rulfed Grouse and in the Quail flocks the next spring: and if the gentleman farmer can be persuaded to sow even one»quarter of an acre of buckwheat, and leave the shocks standing to be so many field lunch-counters for the hungry game—birds that furnish him with autumnal sport. another important step will be taken on the road of Bird Protection.
Once let a community get in the habit of feeding its winter birds. and it will gain a good reputation among them. and surprising results will ensue.
Winter housing is of necessity on a differ» ent plan from the providing of family quar- Cover. not privacy. isthc onething needful. and shelter from the wind is the first consideration.
0n the trunk of the old apple tree that holds my bird lunch-counter a board has been fastened against which a fiat-backed lantern is hung nightly. The lantern frame being of tin. a slight heat is imparted to the
ters for the nesting season.
board, but merely enough to take the chill from it. Several winters ago I discovered that Nuthatches and Downy “‘oodpeckers, evidently attracted by the warmth. made their bedroom in the nooks between this that board and the rounding side of the tree. the rough bark giving them a firm grip: while Chickadees and Juncos have been found roosting in the cow-ham just above the cattle. where the air was tempered by their warm breaths
As an experiment I have tried utilizing boxes the size that contain one hundred pounds of laundry soap. On the front of the box a rough hood is fastened with a drop equal to half the height of the box. and perches are placed across three-fourths of the way up. with pegs like stairs placed at intervals from the bottom upwardt These boxes were placed in sheltered places, under the leaves of a low building. etc.
The first season they were unoccupied. but for two years, feathers and droppings show how well they have been appreciated by birds of many kinds and sizes, and this season I am thatching two of them with straw to make the shelter more snug and atltactivct
Spring is the best time for setting up winter houses, and winter the season [or preparing nesting houses. as a certain amount of “weathering” is necessary to remove all suspicion from the bird‘s mind. which appears to be ultra-conservative and averse Above all. avoid the use of strong-smelling paints. and if you cannot obtain old weathered boards for your lodg— ing house. be content with a dull green or brown shingle stain ml of the creosote varietyr—M. 0. w.
to newnessr
Report of the Audubon Society of the District of Columbia [01' 19034
Commencing with October :7, I901. a tnillinety exhibit was held at the Raleigh Hotel. attracting many strangers as well as residents. A bad. rainy day was against us, but. in spite of that. the show- was a success. This was followed by an autumn water- party to the Great Falls of the Potomac. The day was beautifulI and birds and hu— mans were both happy. November to. a reception for members of the society and their friends was held at the Washington Club. Charts. literature and some good music added to the social pleasure of the‘ evening.
Regular meetings of the society were held through the winter as follows:
December 3. 1903.—llltlslrated lecture. ‘A Naturalist in Mexico.' Speaker. Mr. E. W. Nelsont
january 20. locust—Annual Meeting. Re-
port of the secretary and the treasurer. Lec-
