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But if the birds and I are companions, I must know them more 

 intimately. Merely building houses for them is not enough. I want 

 to know live and happy birds, not dead ones. We are not to know 

 them, then, by catching them, nor stuffing them, nor collecting their 

 eggs. Persons who make a business of studying birds may shoot 

 birds now and then, and collect their eggs. But these persons are 

 scientists and they are grown-up people. They are trying to add to 

 the sum of human knowledge, but we want to know birds just because 

 we want to. But even scientists do not take specimens recklessly. 

 They do not rob nests. They do not kill brooding birds. They do 

 not make collections merely for the sake of making them ; and even 

 their collections are less valuable than a knowledge of the bird as it 

 lives and flies and sings. 



Boys and girls should not make collections of eggs, for these 

 collections are mere curiosities, as collections of spools and marbles 

 are. They may afford some entertainment, to be sure, but one can 

 find amusement in harmless ways. Some people think that making 

 collections makes one a naturalist, but it does not. The naturahst 

 cares more for things as they really are in their own homes than for 

 museum specimens. One does not love the birds when he steals their 

 eggs and breaks up their homes ; and he is depriving the farmer of 

 one of his best friends, for birds keep insects in check ! 



Stuffed birds do not sing and empty eggs do not hatch. Then let 

 us go to the fields and watch the birds. Sit down on the soft grass 

 and try to make out what the robin is doing on yonder fence or why 

 the wren is bursting with song in the thicket. An opera glass or spy 

 glass will bring them close to you. Try to find out not only what the 

 colors and shapes and sizes are, but what their habits are. What does- 

 the bird eat? How much does it eat? Where is its ne.st ? How 

 many eggs does it lay ? What color are they ? How long does the 

 mother bird set ? Does the father bird care for her when she is 

 setting ? For how long do the young birds remain in the nest ? Who 

 feeds them ? What are they fed ? Is there more than one brood in 

 the season ? Where do the birds go after breeding ? Do they change 

 their plumage ? Are the mother birds and father birds unlike in size 

 or color? How many kinds of birds do you know ? 



These are some of the things which every boy or girl wants to 

 know ; and we can find out by watching the birds ! There is no harm 



