ORNITHOLOGY. 



461 



still cover all hut the swiftest water in 

 the brook where the phoebe has taken 

 up her home. 



It is not safe to predict the earliest 

 spring bird. One year you will see 



THE PHOEBE. 



one kind and another year a different 

 kind. One must spend part of every 

 day afield for at least two weeks in 



March to be at all sure of seeing the 

 earliest arrival. In most cases it hap- 

 pens that several species have come by 

 the time the first is seen by the indi- 

 vidual. A mild day comes, the cawing 

 of crows or a rumor about robins 

 reaches you and you go for the fiist 

 excursion afield. Your list for that 

 day will probably look something like 

 this: song sparrow (many), bluebird 

 (fairly common), phoebe (several), 

 purple grackle (three), cowbird (a 

 small fiock on telegraph wires), robin 

 (several), fox sparrow (a small, loose 

 flock), unidentified (flock of one hun- 

 dred birds Hying north, probably red- 

 winged blackbirds). 



Finally arrive the warblers in April 

 and May. There are sure to be some 

 species to look for with special care. 

 Local lists of these birds are ai.vays 

 provisional, temporary, never final. 

 The professional will have at least 

 some doubtful notes to reinforce by 

 closer observation, some question 

 marks to erase and, it is all too prob- 

 able, some specimens to collect. 





AGASSIZ ASSOCIATION 



- W&<&<&8^^ 



TOO LITERARY. 



A few of our Chapters miss the spirit 

 of The Agassiz Association, because they 

 make their programmes too literary. A 

 timely selection from some standard 

 naturalist, a bit of poetry (not too 

 long) and a nature song or two may 

 add to the social enjoyment, but a 

 programme made up wholly of this 

 kind of material with one or two gen- 

 eral essays, is far from what we desire 

 or should try to get. Go straight to 

 nature, and wdien you return, tell us 

 with all possible enthusiasm what you 

 have observed. 



If a literary selection from some nat- 

 uralist is read, do not be contented 



with the mere sentiment, but tell who 

 the author is and what he actually saw 

 that suggested the essay and supplied 

 its up lifting and helpful character. 



A discussion of items or articles per- 

 taining to nature, from newspapers or 

 magazines, may well take, say ten min- 

 utes. 



But do not depend on printing press 

 and piano for the principal part of the 

 program. 



Eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes ; again I say 

 eyes. Do not forget to observe. See 

 correctly; tell if possible in a lively and 

 entertaining way. Nature is never 

 "dry." A speaker or essayist \\ ho is 

 nature's representative has no right, 



