There is an army of interesting birds called creepers, sapsuckers, and woodpeckers, which no one has, apparently, thought of providing with homes, yet it is not difficult to suit the woodpeckers with houses. A substitute for their favorite rotten tree or stump may be made of a sound piece of timber. The log may be squared or rounded, as in nature (Fig. 43). Saw off the bottom so that the log may set upright, then trim off the top end wedge-shaped, to shed the rain or to receive a roof, which will still further protect it from the weather. Next saw a deep cut as shown by the dotted line, =a=, =b=. With a large-sized auger bore a number of holes in the face of the log; these holes must be bored deep enough to leave a slight indentation in the main part of the log after the piece, =a=, =b=, =c=, =d=, has been removed. After the holes are bored begin at =c=, =d= and saw to =a=, =b= (Fig. 43), and lift off the piece =a=, =b=, =c=, =d= (Fig. 45). With chisel and gouge cut out the nest holes. Make them about eight inches deep, as shown in Fig. 44. Fig. 47 gives a cross-section of the hole, showing it to be of the same form as those made by the birds themselves, in George Washington’s head, or the old stump in the woods. The Perforated Door may now be replaced and spiked to the log, and the roof (Fig. 46) nailed on the top, which will complete the woodpecker’s home. A better plan than spiking the door in place is to hang it on hinges, as shown in Fig. 46. The Hinged Door should be supplied with a padlock, as a safeguard against children and too-curious grown people. A handful of sawdust thrown into the bottom of each nest-hole will supply the place of the absorbent rotten wood to which these birds are accustomed. It is claimed that the English sparrow will not nest in a swinging or moving house. If this is true we may Bring the Martins Back by supplying them with swinging houses made of dipper and bottle gourds, hung to brackets or to hoops and poles (Figs. 48 and 49). [Illustration: FIGS. 48 and 49.--Bottle Gourds Hung to Brackets.] The Gourds for Bird’s Houses must be thoroughly dried, and doorways cut in each, near the bottom of the bowl. Never make the entrance to any sort of a bird-house on a line with the bottom of the house, for the nest will block the doorway. Paint the Gourds bright red, green, blue, and yellow, and fasten the small ends to the supports with copper wire, as shown in Figs. 48 and 49. The Wren-House shown in Fig. 50 is made of a grape-basket, and will not stand rough weather, but if put in a sheltered place it will last a long time. Wrens love to build under a roof of any sort. [Illustration: FIGS. 50-55.--Made from Fruit-Cans.] Tin-Can Bird-Houses.