PREFACE. V 



well-kno^vn, abundant, easily observed, and resident in nearly 

 all parts of the country. 



The arrangement of the book has two ends in view : to adapt 

 the study to the school year, and to present it so that when 

 the pupil begins field work he shall be able to do it with some 

 general idea of what is worth observing. The study of unfa- 

 miliar types gives some notion of the breadth of the subject, — 

 its extent ; and it furnishes a store of facts to be applied to its 

 intent, the study of comparisons, in the next section ; it also 

 helps to fix in mind the definite relation between a living 

 organism and its environment, which, treated from the evolu- 

 tionary standpoint, forms the subject of the third section. 

 When spring appears the pupil is ready for field work, which 

 can be successfully begun only when the birds are in full song 

 and full i)lnmage ; he comes to it as an unhackneyed subject, 

 but one concerning which he already has a store of knowledge. 



The authenticity of the text has been an object of solicitude. 

 Whatever is not my own — and most of it is mine — is given 

 on the authority and by the permission of some of our best 

 field naturalists. For such permissions I am indebted to Mr. 

 William Brewster, whose admirable treatise on migration I 

 have quoted freely, because his words could hardly be either 

 condensed or simplified; also to Mr. A. W. Anthony, Mr. 

 Chase A. Littlejohn, and Captain D. P. Ingraham, by whose 

 courtesy several valuable papers are quoted almost entire. 

 Some lesser obligations are noted in their places. The manu- 

 script was read by the well-known author and ornithologist, 

 Mr. C. J. Maynard, to whom hearty thanks are due. 



FANNIE HARDY ECKSTORM. 



