THE OTTAWA NATURALIST 



VOL. XXIX. MAY, 1915. No. 2, 



SUGGESTIONS FOR ORNITHOLOGICAL WORK 



IN CANADA. 



By p. a. Taverner, 

 Geological Survey, Ottawa. 



(Continued from page 18). 



The local worker, then, should collect industriously and 

 determine his specimens with accuracy, getting expert opinion 

 whenever necessary. The fact that no one can be equally 

 famiHar with all the recognizable forms of every species should 

 be recognized and no hesitation shown in referring to those 

 having greater experience in special directions. It should be 

 the endeavour to study the bird Hfe of the chosen locality 

 thoroughly and no means should be neglected to extend an under- 

 standing of conditions in past times as well as present. For this 

 purpose old Hterature pertaining to the locality should be search- 

 ed and the accounts verified as far as possible. In fact the 

 compiling of a bibliography of local application is an important 

 line of research. The aim should be to tie up every record, 

 when possible, with an extant and fully confirmed specimen, 

 if not one in the observer's collection, its whereabou'^s should be 

 noted so that it may be available for future examination and re- 

 consideration. Examination of old collections of stuffed birds 

 in out of the way places and old houses is a fruitful source of 

 information, but the greatest care should be exercised in sub- 

 stantiating the data in connection with them. When there is 

 any doubt whatever on this point the fact should be noted. In 

 fact, to a local faunal list it is better to add a hypothetical list 

 for all species whose occurrence cannot be substantiated by 

 specimens or on equally unimpeachable evidence. A long hypo- 

 thetical list is often an indication of careful work rather than the 

 contrary. 



In collecting, the local student should attempt to gather 

 representative series of all the birds of his area, showing every 

 possible plumage in which they occur in the locality. This means 



