viii PREFACE 



ing these various protective agencies and their work 

 can be found only in recent periodicals. An effort 

 has been made in these pages to bring together some 

 of the more valuable of this material. 



The author has also presented for the general 

 reader a brief summary of the investigations of the 

 food habits of our common birds, made by the 

 Bureau of Biological Survey, the reports of which 

 were originally published in bulletins to which most 

 readers do not have access. 



The author has had especially in mind one large 

 group of readers, who have something of a profes- 

 sional interest in this subject, namely, the teachers 

 of the country, who are now teaching children about 

 birds in nature-study and through bird clubs. The 

 last chapter has been specially prepared for their 

 use, in the hope that it may prove helpful to them in 

 teaching this subject to children. 



The author acknowledges his indebtedness to 

 those who have so kindly looked over portions of 

 the manuscript and given suggestions thereon: to 

 the Bureau of Biological Survey for looking over 

 Chapters VII to XI inclusive; to Mr. Ernest Inger- 

 soll for reading Chapters XVI, XVII, and XVIII; to 

 Mr. Edward H. Forbush for reading Chapters I to 

 VI, inclusive, and XII to XV, inclusive; and to Miss 

 Helen M. Reynolds for suggestions on Chapter 

 XXIII. Special thanks are due to Mr. Forbush for 

 his courtesy in sending advance sheets of his annual 



