PREFACE 



The success of the little book "Birds Through 

 the Year" in stimulating among its readers a 

 desire to make the acquaintance in the open of 

 the birds described therein, has prompted the 

 author to prepare this somewhat more preten- 

 tious volume. 



This is in no sense a treatise on the science of 

 ornithology, but the effort is made to reproduce 

 the atmosphere of the natural home of the bird 

 in field, forest and park, by describing the con- 

 ditions under which each variety is found, and 

 their usual surroundings, as well as their habits, 

 plumage, songs, etc. About one hundred and 

 fifty varieties are thus described, including those 

 most common in eastern North America. While 

 the classification recognized by the American 

 Ornithological Union has been followed, the 

 Latin names have been avoided, as well as those 

 purely technical terms that are unfamiliar to the 

 layman. 



The author's observations of bird life, cover- 

 ing a period of more than thirty years, have been 

 made for the most part in his home state, Maine, 

 in the region about New York City, New Jersey, 

 the Catskill Mountains, and in the Southern 

 States. 



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