XIV INTBODUCTION 



be found in the key; patience leads to trained 

 ears and eyes, and conscience prevents hasty con- 

 clusions and doubtful records. Two notebooks 

 should be kept, one for permanent records and 

 a pocket one for field use, as elaborations from 

 memory are of little value to one's self, and still 

 less to posterity. One of the best forms of per- 

 manent notebook is a pad, punched and fastened 

 in an adjustable cover. The notes on each bird 

 should be written on sej^arate pages, and as they 

 accumulate, the pages slipped out of the cover 

 and arranged alphabetically for easy reference. 

 Suggestions for field notes will be found in the 

 observation outline. Appendix, p. 380. 



Where to find Birds. — Shrubby village 

 door-yards, the trees of village streets and or- 

 chards, roadside fences, overgrown pastures, and 

 the borders of brooks and rivers are among the 

 best places to look for birds. Such places afford 

 food and protection, for there are more insects 

 and fewer enemies in villages and about country 

 houses than in forests ; while brooks and river 

 banks, though without the protection afforded 

 by man, give water and abundant insect life. 

 Very few birds care for deep woods. The heart 

 of the dark, coniferous Adirondack forest is 

 silent — hardly a bird is to be found there. It 

 is along the edges of sunny, open woodland that 

 most of the wood-loving species go to nest. 



