When on walking through a city park on a blustery winter day one
suddenly spies the little bird houses, built by the custodian and
perched high up among the branches of the trees, a smile invariably
creeps over the face and a thought of summer steals into the tired
brain. Would that the building of bird houses became more fashionable
among our boys!
One of the simplest and most artistic of them may be formed from a
cocoanut shell. The opening may be so made that the piece of shell cut
out can be turned up like a little porch roof over the door. If these be
fixed just at nest-building time and the architect should kindly leave
the nut inside the shell the birds will be most grateful.
Down south many of the door-yard trees seem to be growing gourd fruit.
In reality the gourds (with an opening in the side of each) are tied on
or hung there by means of their own crooked necks to make nests for the
birds.
Sometimes one may see whole rows of them upon a pole which is nailed to
a stable roof and often they are found hanging to the ragged edge of the
roof of a negro cabin. As far as I can learn, the idea originated with
the colored people, who take great pride in the number of birds they can
attract about them by this and other kindly means. The little yellow
houses seem to delight the birds so much that one is seldom put up in
vain, and the tenants pay lavishly with coins of song and many a trill
of joy.
Lee McCrae.