INTRODUCTION 



need for books about the common birds that 

 every person wants to know. 



The field of bird literature in the eastern 

 states is more productive than on the Pacific 

 Coast. Along the western slope there is a real 

 need for a small popular handbook. Many 

 people who have a limited time out-of-doors 

 are anxious for a short cut in getting ac- 

 quainted with the birds in the woods. A 

 careful written description is good, an ac- 

 curate colored bird sketch is often a quicker 

 help. This volume with its short descriptions 

 and colored pictures should be a welcome 

 companion for bird lovers on their first walks 

 in the fields and forests. 



William L. Finley. 



vui 



