Evening star., 1937-02-18
THIS AND THAT
BY CHARLES T. TRACEWELL.

A reader wants information ION how
to build Q bird house." q rather large
order. II have nearly o hundred white
Venetian blind Stats" she writes. land
1t seems to me they might be used for
that purpose"
They might, indeed.
A bird house, 20 called, Is simply q
box, after all. and stats of any sort ought
to come in handy for building one.
Provided, Of course, one has the in
senuity to At them together properly.
Most people used boards, cut to size,
for bird house construction.
II is difilcult enough that way, but
not too difiicult, since 1t is mostly
labor OF love.
No one has to build bird houses, ex-
cept those who sell them The rest
simply do 1t out of love for the feathered
creatures
II one Is not q carpenter, by instinct
perhaps one had better 60 to those who
SELL
There are any number of very nice
bird houses on the market, and now is
the favored time Of the year for putting
them out and up, where the birds will
find them.
1t seems to be an early Spring. al
though no doubt there will be some
upsets. In the main, however, 1t really
seems to be Spring, thank heaven for
that.
And the birds will be along any day
now: In fact, some of them which ordi-
narily do not return until March or
April already have arrived.
So put up the bird houses, If you have
not done so.
Mostly they are of two sorts, bluebird
houses and wren houses
The real difference lies in the opening.
The hole of the wren house is an inch,
or seven -eighths OF an inch, in diameter.
The entrance to the bluebird house Is
one and one-quarter inches in diameter.
This may seem q small difference, but
it makes all the difference in the world
to the birds concerned. Most birds
which will utilize man-made houses" will
take to the bluebird house. which is
"bluebird" only by intention, not by
surety by any means. Most of the blue
bird houses, 80 called, are occupied by
SpaIrows anyway.
The question of a perch below the
door is a matter about which there has
been much argument, pro and con. 1t has
been said that If there is a perch below
the entrance to q bluebird house, the
miSchievouS wrens will find it an excel
lent place from which to carry on their
nefarious attack upon the eggs of the
larger bird, as explained in letter here
recently.
The truth seems to be that the house
wren needs no such aid, but is per-
fectly able to do its deeds of evil with or
without benefit of perch.
A small section OF wood fitted just
below the door is handsome addition
to any bird house. and the birds seem
to enjoy it immensely
There are few prettier sights in the
garden than a bluebird, a real one.
perching in front Of the door of its
house, just before it enters.
This Is a sight worth waiting many
years for II necessary, but happily it is
not necessary; q nice bluebird house,
properly placed on a tree. some 10 to
II feet in the air. will suftice.
It may be that the birds will not stay.
after they have investigated. Like
human family, looking over an apart
ment ito rent" they may discover
something or other which they do not
like.
But the sight of them on the perch is
a great deal. and if only for a glimpse.
or maybe q few hours, well worth all the
trouble.
49,
A bird house Is only q box.
Adorn it as one will according to
the temperament Of the maker. it is and
remains q simple box. One for wren.
which is q tiny bird, may be no more
than 8 inches tall, and from front to