PART III 



THE STUDY OF BIRDS IN THE FIELD 



This part is designed to enable any person with moderate 

 patience and energy to become familiar with all conspicuous 

 common birds. The only preparation necessary for its use is 

 the ability to recognize the English sparrow, the robin, and the 

 crow when seen, and to tell the difference between an owl and 

 a hawk. The Keys furnish a guide to two hundred of our 

 most common land birds, helping the pupil to recognize them 

 at sight or by their notes, without shooting a single specimen. 



With two mornings each week of the spring and early sum- 

 mer devoted to the pleasant task of seeing and hearing the 

 birds, the learner should, in a few seasons, be sufficiently 

 familiar Avith them to recognize these common birds at sight. 

 A few birds will always remain unidentified until they are 

 dead and in the hands of an experienced ornithologist. It is 

 easy enough to recognize the family to which they belong — 

 to see that they are finches or wood warblers or vireos or fly- 

 catchers, but it is far more difficult to determine the species. 

 These difficulties present themselves mainly with females ; but 

 since they perplex even the skilled ornithologist, they must 

 not discourage the beginner. 



Progress will seem to be slowest during the first season. It 

 will be harder to learn the first ten birds than any succeeding 

 twenty. At the start it appears difficult to observe any birds 

 with care, but one gradually learns to move and work in such 

 a manner as not to frighten the birds. After some practice 

 the observer notes more peculiarities at a single glance than a 

 minute or two of careful study reveals to a beginner. Practice 



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