File:The first book of birds; (1899) (14752435391).jpg

Identifier: firstbookofbirds00mill (find matches)
Title: The first book of birds;
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Miller, Harriet Mann, 1831-1918
Subjects: Birds
Publisher: Boston, New York, Houghton, Mifflin and company
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Smithsonian Libraries

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e. Cardinal grosbeaks, who are rather shy,were so tame they would take food from hishand. A person living in the country, wishing todraw the birds about his place, should begin byprotecting it. Cats should not be allowed tocome near, English sparrows should be keptdown, and boys who shoot or throw stones shouldbe banished from the vicinity. Next, trees and shrubs that birds like, fornesting and for food, should be set out. Fornesting, a very attractive place for the smallerspecies is a thick hedge of bushes, the thickerand closer the better. Nesting-boxes nailed up in trees please many,and everofreen trees will draw some that wouldnot come otherwise. For food, various berry-bearing shrubs and trees should be provided,such as chokecherry, shadberry, mulberry, andothers. In a town or city, besides shrubs that birdslike, a high fence, with a top that cats cannotwalk on, is desirable, and a readiness to go totheir assistance is soon appreciated. A friend told me a few days ago of a family
Text Appearing After Image:
CARDINAL HOW TO ATTRACT HIM ABOUT OUR HOMES 133 of wood thrushes who nested last summer in theyard of her house in the city of Orange, N. J.The birds soon found out that some of the fam-ily would come to drive away strange cats whichcame in. After they learned that, when a catappeared they would give a peculiar cry, unlikeany other heard from them. On hearing this,one of the family always hurried out and drovethe enemy away. If the birds could not get any response froma call at the kitchen door, they would fly to thefront of the house, perch on the piazza rail, andcall till some one came out. All through nesting-time they thus called on their friends for protec-tion, and the delight the family had over thenest and the friendly birds amply repaid themfor their trouble. The one great necessity, in both city andcountry, is water for drinking and bathing. Itshould be in a shallow dish. The rough saucerof a flower-pot is best, because the birds feetdo not slip on it, and the edge is broad

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