INTRODUCTION. 1 5 



There may be soinething in the increased temperature in the 

 south whicli the birds have found to be unsuitable while raising 

 their young, and a change has become a matter of necessity, thougli 

 the cause may not be to us apparent. 



How are we to account for the habit in such birds as the Little 

 Bittei-n, very many of which are resident in the south, and raise their 

 young in tropical America, while those we see in Ontario are regular 

 migrants, generally distributed, some straggling as far north as Mani- 

 toba and Hudson's Bay, but all leaving the country before the first 

 touch of frost 1 



With these facts in view, it is not surprising to find some difFei'- 

 ence of opinion among ornithologists regarding the causes of migra- 

 tion. It seems as if the habit were, to some extent, coincident with 

 the origin of the species, had extended very gradually through a long 

 succession of ages, to meet the various climatic and other changes 

 which have taken place in the surroundings of this part of tlie animal 

 kingdom since "the beginning." Even within our short lifetime we 

 have seen changes taking place in the distribution of the birds, .some 

 of which we can account for, and for others we have no explanation 

 to oiTer ; but the whole subject is one about which we have 3'et much 

 to learn. 



I commend it to the special consideration of my youthful readers, 

 who, I feel sure, will find it most interesting, and I hope that they 

 may yet be able to explain many of the difficulties which at jjresent 

 .surround the subject of bird migration. 



COLLECTING AND PREPARING 



SPECIMENS. 



Since it is possible that the perusal of these pages may create 

 in some of my younger readers the desii'e to collect and j^reserve 

 specimens of the birds whose history they have been considering, 

 I would advise them, by all means, to cultivate the taste, for I 

 know of no pastime so conducive to health, nor one that will aff"ord 

 .so much rational enjoyment. An outing in oui- bracing Canadian aii- 

 is enjoyable at any season of the year, and the capture of a rare bird 

 is an event productive of feelings which only the entluisiastic collector 

 can undei'stand. 



In spring, to watcli the dailv ;ii'rival of migrants from the south. 



