[Illustration: A NESTING-BOX FOR BIRDS.]
The door is a small round or pear-shaped hole near the top of the box,
so that there is plenty of room for the nest below it.
A little ledge for the birds, and especially the young ones, to rest
upon, is a good thing to have on the front of the box. If possible,
paint your box roughly with dabs of green and brown to make it
match the tree stem and leaves, and put on it the name of your
patrol and troop if you like.
Then fix it to a tree trunk about six feet above the ground, where it
is safe from rats or snakes, and on the side of the tree farthest from
the path, if there be one near, so that the birds will not be frightened
by passers-by. If it is on the sunny side, so much the better.
Birds will build in almost anything which offers them safety
and shelter; an old kettle, for instance, or an old tin pot is a
favourite site for a nest. If you scatter a few crumbs or grains
of corn about your box every day at first, the birds will
become accustomed to it, and will soon adopt it as their home.
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