152 Bird -Lore 



aim is to make him acquainted with the most common birds of the 

 vicinity, taking the familes in succession. By means of mounted 

 specimens he makes a study of each species, as to size, form, color, 

 and markings, at the same time receiving some account of manners 

 and habits that shall ensure easy identification in the field. In this 

 way a student learns to know familiarly about one hundred species 

 of the common birds. This gives him a good start for individual 

 work, and prevents the discouragement of facing a world of birds, 

 without knowing one to begin with. I know from my own experience 

 how disheartening this is, and I know, from the experience of others, 

 how many are discouraged in the outset of this most delightful of 

 studies by these preliminary difficulties. 



So much has been said about my use of mounted specimens, in 

 the face of my opposition to the killing of birds, that I should like 

 here to define my position. In the first place, I have never objected 

 to the killing of a moderate number of birds for really scientific 

 purposes. What I oppose is the destruction for mere collections, 

 for sport, for selling, for the unnecessary multiplication of skins and, 

 above all, for milliners' use. In the second place, no bird was ever 

 killed for me ; nor did my purchase of those I have encourage the 

 killing of more, because I bought them of a young man who col- 

 lected them for himself and then, turning his attention to something 

 else, wished to sell them. 



Besides this, the collection I use has had an influence from Maine 

 to Minnesota, interesting hundreds of students in the living bird, and 

 inducing them to discountenance the destruction going on. No 

 person — I may say confidently — ever went out from my classes 

 with a gun, and I have had many boys in them. In fact, it is 

 necessary only to show how much more interesting is the live bird 

 than the poor dead body, to arouse their attention and take away 

 their appetite for destruction. Therefore, even had my specimens 

 been killed for me, I should consider that they had been useful 

 enough, in saving the lives of thousands of their fellows and con- 

 verting hundreds of boys from bird-murderers to bird-observers, to 

 justify their sacrifice. 



Having given my class this general knowledge, with the dis- 

 tinguishing marks of each family, and some acquaintance with its 

 more prominent members, I take them out in small parties for out- 

 door observation, to teach them and to show them hozv to observe. 

 Most useful, also, I regard a practical lesson in the use of the 

 books, identification by the manuals ; and another in taking note 

 of and properly describing the points of a bird. 



When a student has completed the course of ten talks which I 



