The Audubon Societies 119 



calendar. Perhaps but few of the birds are illustrated the first year, but those 

 that are serve as inspiration for the next year's class to surpass them. As 

 soon as a bird is reported, its card should be brought forth, the date, authority 

 and locality added, and then it should be hung up in a conspicuous place. 

 Perhaps the class will like to improve upon the picture, and the competition 

 which results will stimulate the drawing lesson, while the presence of the names 

 of the boys and girls in the last year's class who first observed the birds the 

 previous year will stimulate them to greater observation out of doors. 



Whichever type of calendar is employed, it should always be borne in mind 

 that quality is better than quantity, and that accuracy is of prime importance. 

 The calendar should be started before the birds begin to come back in the spring, 

 so that it will include the winter residents. The nearer the first of January it is 

 begun the better, though it may be started at any time. The children must 

 learn to recognize that certain birds are with us throughout the year (permanent 

 residents), others merely spend the winter in a given locality and nest farther 

 north (winter residents), while the majority spend the winter in the South and 

 either nest with us during the summer (summer residents) or pass through on 

 their way to a more northern nesting-ground (transient visitants). The last 

 two classes are the ones that make the keeping of a calendar so interesting, 

 because of the accuracy of their arrival in the spring, but the first two must not 

 be forgotten. 



If a teacher will read any of the numerous accounts of bird-migration that 

 have appeared, such as that in the introduction to Dr. Chapman's 'Handbook 

 of Birds of Eastern North America,' or the paper by W. W. Cooke on 'Bird 

 Migration,' published by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, or the little 

 book entitled 'The Travels of Birds' by Dr. Chapman, he will be able to make 

 the study of bird-migration and the bird-calendars much more interesting. 

 For the benefit of those who are unable to refer to a more complete account, 

 the following summary prepared by the writer for the American Forestry 

 Magazine may prove useful. 



THE RETURN OF THE BIRDS 



When the high tide of the spring migration comes, it is about the middle of May and 

 nearly three months have passed since the first Horned Larks started northward over 

 snow-covered fields. The March Robin brings forth its crowd of admirers, the call of 

 the Bluebird draws a response from others, but when every hedgerow and thicket 

 resounds with musical voices, and even the trees of the city streets flash with brilliant 

 Warblers, everyone likes to stop and listen and notice the unusual number of birds. 

 We cannot help wondering whence have come these little wanderers, where they are 

 going, and what is the meaning of their journeys. In great waves they come from the 

 South, flood us with beauty and song for a few days, and then pass on. Wave after 

 wave passes over us during the course of the month, until June arrives, when the last 

 immature birds hasten on to their nesting-ground and leave us with only our summer 

 birds until the fall migration shall bring them back once more. 



A little observation from year to year shows us that these May birds are extremely 



