A GUIDE TO THE 



BIRDS OF NEW ENGLAND AND 



EASTERN NEW YORK 



THE OBJECT AND PLAN OF THIS GUIDE 



There is something infectious in the enthusiasm of a stu- 

 dent of birds. To hear him talk about the excitement of see- 

 ing a new bird, to read his account of it, or, best of all, to go 

 afield with him on a May morning, is often enough to awaken 

 a new interest, which enriches life to a surprising degree. The 

 study of birds presents plenty of difficulties, which add fuel 

 to the flame of real enthusiasm ; there are sloughs of despond 

 beyond which the faint-hearted never get. A guide who 

 knows the way, its pitfalls and short cuts, is always wel- 

 come, and almost necessary in these days when our only 

 weapon is the opera-glass. In spite of the fact that many 

 excellent books are now available, the author offers another, 

 both in the belief that there can never be too many good 

 guides, and in the hope that this book has been especially 

 adapted to the growing class of beginners in bird study. 



The book is the result of experience with many field- 

 classes. Every effort has been made to emphasize the aspect 

 of birds as seen out of doors, to describe their general or most 

 prominent colors rather than any mark difficult to see on the 

 living bird, and to call attention to their characteristic habits 

 and haunts, and thus to enable the conscientious student to 

 answer, with as much certainty as possible, the question, 



