2 INTRODUCTION. 



nest, since other birds may be about it, and may even make 

 complaints from sympathy, or because their own nests are 

 near by.^ Should she fly too soon, I either return after a 

 few moments' absence or concealment (as I often do in prefer- 

 ence to doing mischief by keeping her too long from her nest), 

 or I follow her with my eye, endeavoring not to lose sight of 

 her nor to confuse her with any other species, and note, so far 

 as possible, all her markings, which, until I became an expert, 

 I always noted down on the spot, to compare with full descrip- 

 tions at home. Practice enables one to recognize many birds, 

 particularly the larger ones, at a glance, and to note readily 

 the most characteristic markings ; but there is no objection to 

 shooting Hawks, which are less easily identified otherwise than 

 smaller species. There are some persons who are too inaccu- 

 rate to follow this method, and with such, or with those per- 

 sonally unknown to you, it is well never to exchange. Males 

 are generally more easily identified than females, and fre- 

 quently sit upon their nests, though most often appearing 

 when their mates are disturbed. Confusion may easily arise 

 from two varieties of one species, but both forms rarely occur 

 in the same district, and, according to a strict definition of the 

 word ' variety,' can never normally do so. The only varie- 

 ties (not belonging to original types) which occur in New 

 England among land-birds are the Gray-cheeked Thrush, the 

 Bronzed Blackbird ,2 and the Ked-naped Woodpecker, of which 

 the first-named has been sometimes ranked as a species, and 

 at least has not been known to breed in the eastern United 

 States.^ * 



" Bird-collecting, on the other hand, unavoidably leads to 



1 It may be added that Cow-birds manim hypochrysea), the Nelson's and 

 always lay their eggs in the nests of Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrows (Sm- 

 other birds. See § 17, III. modromus caudacutus nelsoni and A. c. 



2 " This bird is thought to build in subvirgatus), the Bicknell's Thrush 

 holes, while the Crow Blackbird does (Turdiis alicim bicknelli), and the Cana- 

 not." dian Ruffed Grouse {Bonasa umhellus 



3 See, farther, § 13, I, D, and E, for togata), have been since added. The 

 the very slight distinction between the Gray-cheeked Thrush is now consid- 

 Warbling and Philadelphia Vireos. ered a good species, and the Red-naped 



* Several subspecies, such as the Woodpecker has been eliminated from 

 Yellow Palm Warbler (Dendroica pal- the New England list. — W. B. 



