The Birds' Calendar 



spot where I found it, and said to have nested 

 in the neighborhood, is much more abundant, 

 being often found in immense colonies of hun- 

 dreds and thousands, where a single tree is said 

 sometimes to contain a dozen nests. Southern 

 New England contains several such heronries. 



The entire feathered race divides itself easily 

 and naturally into Land Birds and Water Birds. 

 The former division contains all the best-kno^vn 

 species — song-birds, woodpeckers, owls, hawks, 

 eagles, etc. — from their greater proximity to 

 man. But the water-birds, with their distinct- 

 ive forms and habits, are not less interesting 

 objects of study, and, although without the 

 attractive elements of song and (in compara- 

 tively few species) brilliant plumage, include 

 many of our most picturesque and graceful speci- 

 mens. 



In any region having an extensive water- 

 front, especially if it be marine, the water-birds 

 are also numerically important, as, for example, 

 in the New England States, where they consti- 

 tute about two-fifths of the entire avifauna. 

 They are of two quite distinct sorts, known as 



[24 



