THE OSPREY. 



Barn-fowl. How many of us can prove or dis- 

 prove the simplest statements that can be made 

 concerning- it? How many of us can decide on 

 the theory that a hen begfinning- to lay. lays on 

 the first day early in the mornings, next day an 

 hour later, and so on until afternoon is reached, 

 tlien a day is missed, and on the next day the 

 bird begins ag"ain in the early morning? How 

 many of us can contradict the statement that the 

 hen is capable of real and faithful attachment to 

 one particular male, even though several be in 

 the yard? Which of its can say when and why 

 the hen turns her effg"s, or whether she know- 

 ingly turns them at all? It would be easj' to g-o on 

 exposing" our ignorance, but sufficient has been 

 said for my purpose, and I would follow with 

 the remark, if we know so little of our familiar 

 domestic fowls, how insignificant must be our 

 knowledge of the wild birds. I am so satisfied 

 that a harvest of knowledge and pleasure awaits 

 those who will venture into this alinost virgin 

 field, that I have determined to spend one entire 

 season at least in investigating the life history 

 of a sing-le species, and to the end that I may 

 approach the subject systematically, I have tabu- 

 lated the lines of investigation under twent^'- 

 seven heads. These are naturalU- limited 

 by the kiuiwledge and theories of the writer, but 

 I believe that in the working them out one will 

 most assuredly stumble on clues which, properly 

 followed, will lead to light most unexpected, and 

 to new ideas that have not even been guessed at 

 by the preliminary schedule, for such has ever 

 been the experience of those who have blindlj^ 

 but earnestly groped after the truth. 



For numerous reasons, more or less evident, I 

 have selected the Song Sparrow (3/c/ospiza 

 mclodia) as the species for study, and propose 

 collecting all possible evidence on the following 

 items: 



1. Spring Migration. — Give earliest appear- 

 ance, etc.; state whether in flocks or singly, the 

 species by itself or associated with congeners 

 such as other sparrows, or wholly difterent 

 species, such as swimming or wading birds, 

 males in advance or both sexes together, by 

 day or bj' night; crossing the lake or skirting 

 its shores; flj'ing high or low; recording in 

 full the weather at the time of observation, 

 also date, locality and moon, etc. Does it hide 

 or return southward during the late spring 

 storms? With what other species does it asso- 

 ciate in migration? Do individuals that come 

 early differ from those that come late? If so, 

 are both found breeding here? 



2. Habitat. — Is it found in dry uplands, dense 

 forests or marshes, or does it manifest a pre- 

 ference for the vicinity of water, or especially 

 of running water? Can any reason be as- 

 signed for its choice of locality? 



3(7. / flicc of the Male. — Song and variations of 

 the same; height from ground when singing; 

 time of da^'; alarm notes, song periods, song- 

 flight, song by night; influence of the weather. 



Zb. I 'oiccof the Female. — Song, if any, and full 

 particulars as above. 



4. Voice of the Young. — Has the young- in first 

 plumage a song characteristic of that period, 

 as have some other species, and does this song 

 resemble that of others of the genus in corres- 

 ponding plumage? 



5. Care of i'ottng. — What devices do the par- 

 ents use to protect the young. 



6. Habits. — What are its peculiar tricks of at- 

 titude, motion and expression? Does it hop or 

 run? Is its flight ever undulatorj', like thai 

 of many of its relatives? Is the tail-pumping 

 a recognition mark? Is it nocturnal or aquatic 

 at all? Does it ever wade for food, swim or 

 dive to escape its enemies? Does it indulge in 

 any sort of play, especially in a social way? 

 Does it enter holes or burrows? 



7. Co-operation. — Do two individuals, mates or 

 otherwise, ever unite to do something beyond 

 the strength of one, as catch prej', break 

 down stalks, move nesting material, resist an 

 intruder. 



8. Miuiicry. — Do they mimic, as songs of other 

 birds, other sounds. Do thej' ever imitate 

 birds of prey to drive away intruders. 



9. Signals. — Can they distinguish the danger 

 signals of other birds? What signals do they 

 use besides vocal sounds? Do they tap with 

 the beaks, wings or feet, or slap the water as 

 a signal? Have they special night signals? 

 How do the)' communicate with each other 

 generally? 



10. Success in Life. — Can it hold out against 

 the English Sparrow? If so, what is its peculiar 

 strength? Is the species increasing or not 

 with civilization? How does it adapt itself 

 to changing conditions such as deforesting? 

 increasing human population? 



11. SuDuner Roosts. — Does it form summer 

 roosts? If so, does it use these in common 

 with other species? 



12. Constancy. — Does the same pair return each 

 3'ear to the same locality'? This can be settled 

 only by marking them in some way. 



13. Condition of each Specimen. — Give full notes 

 re genitalia, watching for cases of sterility, 

 hermaphroditism or disease, counting if pos- 

 sible the number of ova, especially of those 

 enlarged; giving also general condition of the 

 specimen; stating whether fat or lean, dis- 

 eased or healthy, parasitized or not, internally 

 or externally, and to what extent. 



14. Food. — Give in full — contents of mouth, 

 gullet and gizzard, and preserve the same in 

 labeled phials. Does it feed on the wing? in 

 the water, under water, on tree tops, b)' 

 nig'ht? Does it regurgitate pellets? Does it 

 distinguish poisonous plants and insects? 

 Does it teach its young to do so? Does it feed 

 the young by regurgitation? Does its food 

 change with time of life? Does it eat food 

 that would poison another species? Do cer- 

 tain foods influence the bird's color? Does it 

 store up food? Does it treat special foods in 

 special ways, thus, put very hard seeds to 

 soak, or remove the stings of wasps, or the 

 wings of moths. Does it take food with 

 its claws? 



15. Pliitnage. — Particularize each specimen in 

 form, color and measurement, noting- dift'er- 

 ences of sex, season, age, moult and locality'. 

 Thus, do heavily marked specimens char- 

 acterize a certain locality and so on. Do 

 young or old moult first? Do sick or healthy 

 moxilt first? 



16. Mating. — Note fully any courtship observ- 

 ed, with maneuvers of both birds, or competi- 



