. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. 410 USEFUL BIRDS. fectly smooth surface. Nesting boxes mounted on poles may be guarded in this way. Zinc is the best material. A wide piece of wire netting, shaped like a hat brim, and fastened around a tree, will prevent cats and squirrels from climb- ing it. A smooth, tall, slim pole, made of a peeled sapling pine set in the open, is rarely climbed by cats or
. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. 410 USEFUL BIRDS. fectly smooth surface. Nesting boxes mounted on poles may be guarded in this way. Zinc is the best material. A wide piece of wire netting, shaped like a hat brim, and fastened around a tree, will prevent cats and squirrels from climb- ing it. A smooth, tall, slim pole, made of a peeled sapling pine set in the open, is rarely climbed by cats or squirrels. Thick thorn bushes often serve as safe nesting places for birds. Bundles of thorny sticks tied around tree trunks will keep cats out of the trees. An island in a small artificial pond is also a refuge from cats. The best cat-proof fence for a city garden is that used by Mr. William Brewster at Cambridge. It is made of wire netting sorne six feet in height, surmounted by a fish seine of heavy twine, which is fastened to the top of the wire. The top of the net is then looped to the ends of long, flexible garden stakes. This fabric gives beneath any weight, and oifers so unstable a foot- ing that no cat ever succeeds in scaling it. Mr. Brewster's garden has become famous for the numbers of birds that breed there, and the migrants that visit it year by Fig. 171. - Zinc bands to prevent cats or squirrels from climbing trees or poles. THE PROTECTION OF FARM PRODUCTS FROM BIRDS. Serious losses sometimes occur from injury inflicted on crops or poultry by birds. It is well to remember, how- ever, that, while the harm done by birds is conspicuous, the compensating good that they do is usually unnoticed. In most cases it is best not to kill them, but to protect both birds and crops ; for by killing too many birds we msij dis- turb the biological equilibrium, and bring about a greater. Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherb, booksubjectbirds
