Birds and Seasons 191 



In this connection methods of recording observations are of importance (See 

 Pynchon, ' Every-Day Study of Birds for Busy People, Including a method of Recording 

 Observations,' Bird-Lore, II, 1900, p. 19). 



SUGGESTIONS FOR THE MONTHS' READING 



Thoreau, 'Winter,' also ' Winter Animals' and 'The Pond in Winter' in ' Wal- 

 den' ; Burroughs, 'Winter Sunshine,' also ' A Snow-Storm' and 'Winter Neighbors' 

 in 'Signs and Seasons'; Torrey, 'A Florida Sketch Book,' also 'Winter Birds about 

 Boston' in 'Birds in the Bush,' ' A New England Winter, ' 'A Rambler's Lease,' and 

 ' December Out-of-Doors' in 'The Foot-Path Way'; Bolles, ' The Land of the Lingering 

 Snow' ; Wright, ' A Winter Mood ' in ' The Friendship of Nature' ; Parkhurst, ' Decem- 

 ber ' and ' January ' in ' The Birds' Calendar' ; Keeler, ' January in Berkeley ' in ' Bird 

 Notes Afield. ' 



1. 'What Bird is this? 

 Field Description. — Length, 6.25 in. Hind-neck, rufous; back and crown black and buff; outer 

 ail-feathers marked with white ; breast black, more or less veiled with white ; belly white. Winter- 

 Range — From Middle States and Colorado northward. 



Note. — Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a photograph, from specimens 

 in the American Museum of Natural History, of some widely distributed, but, in the 

 eastern United States, at least, little-known bird, the name of which will be withheld 

 until the succeeding number of the magazine, it being believed that this method of 

 arousing the student's curiosity will result in impressing the bird's characters on his 

 mind far more strongly than if its name were given with its picture. 



