vi PREFACE. 



A third point of interest lies in having true portraits of 

 birds by the distinguished artist, Mr. Ernest Thompson Seton, for 

 which you must thank our generous publishers, as also for the 

 color photographs which help us to see better how the living 

 birds we are learning to recognize really look. A number of 

 other kindnesses have helped us to make this book attractive 

 and instructive. The use of drawings by Mr. Ridgway was 

 most kindly allowed us by Dr. Merriam, of the Department of 

 Agriculture, at Washington. Other sketches were made for us 

 by Mr. Knobel, and by arrangement wdth the publishers of the 

 Osprey we have the use of several attractive portraits and 

 sketches. For the use of the Snowy Egret we are indebted to 

 Miss S. J. Eddy. 



We also express our obligation to visitors we have met in 

 Bird World, some of whose names occur in our record, for bits 

 of testimony and song. In return we commend the books they 

 have given to the world to be read when this "younger book" 

 has prepared you for them. Among them are : Birds of Village 

 and Field, Miss Florence Merriam ; Citizen Bird, Mrs. Mabel 

 Osgood Wright ; Winter Neighbors, Neltje Blanchan ; Bird Life, 

 F. A. Chapman ; and the writings of Mrs. Olive Thorne Miller. 



