August, 1882.] 



a>;d oologist. 



1.")] 



this successfully I know of no better sub- 

 stitute for powder and shot than a good 

 field or opera glass. Besides the resident 

 birds now and then the patient observer 

 will be richly rewarded by a passing ac- 

 quaintance with many of those migrating 

 north. A bird thoroughly shot with the 

 glass is forever alive and fixed in the mind, 

 and a hundred little ways and habits have 

 b3en noted, which would have been entire- 

 ly lost if shot in the usual manner. 



To know a bird thoroughly it must be 

 watched very closely, and it is often the 

 case that many habits and queer ways are 

 noted before enough of the descriptive 

 points are obtained to detennine the spe- 

 cies. As the bird flies here and there its 

 manner of flight is soon known, and when 

 seen on the ground the first thing to be 

 observed is whether it hops or walks. 

 Having obtained all the points as to size, 

 color, particular markings, etc., with the 

 aid of anj' good text book, the species may 

 soon be determined. There are some diffi- 

 culties in the way, and at first some errors 

 may be made. 



With the novice the female Purple 

 Finch might be taken for a Sparrow and 

 the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers would 

 perhaps cause a little trouble, but in a 

 short time nearly all birds will be recog 

 ognized at first sight. A bird should be 

 studied for color against a dark back- 

 ground ; if seen in the face of strong sun- 

 light everything becomes black. Often 

 unheard of and impossible birds are de- 

 scribed, because this fact is overlooked. 

 Colors are relative and seen imder certain 

 conditions they cease to have value. The 

 Tanager seen against the dark green of 

 hemlocks or other dense trees is all alive 

 v\-ith brilliant red ; when seen against 

 a light sky it becomes a black bird. In one 

 of ray Winter walks I was met by a friend 

 who had just seen a flock of Blue-lurds. I 

 doubted the statement as it was a bitter 

 cold day. and the ground was covered with 

 snow. I took a course as directed bv him 



to find them, and soon overtook the ram- 

 blers, but they proved to be, as I had sus- 

 pected, slate-colored Snow-birds, (Junco 

 h>/e»uili.<!.) The eff'ect of the snow had 

 somewhat enhanced their color, and my 

 informant undoubtedly believed that he 

 had seen Blue-birds. Measurements ob- 

 tained at glass range may be quite easily 

 determined by comparison with the dimen- 

 sions given in the text-books, of some 

 familiar bird like the Robin or Blue-bird. 

 For small birds the Chiccadee or some fa- 

 miliar Sparrow can be taken. In order to 

 fully illustrate this subject the reader vdll 

 need to go with me occasionally to the 

 fields. Suppose we have taken a cold 

 Winter's day for our walk. The music of 

 the crisiJ snow under our feet will enliven 

 the hour, and the bracing health giving air 

 will bring the blood tingling to our cheeks. 

 If no birds are seen the walk will not 

 have been wholly in vain. But we shall 

 find the birds out, and with the first 

 we meet, perhaps, several somewhat 

 smaller than sparrows, our lesson begins. 

 They are natm-ally a little shy at first, and 

 as they fly away to the trees we make our 

 first note that they were eating the whit- 

 ish, waxy coating of the bayberry nuts. 

 Becoming less timid they soon venture out 

 of their hemlock or juniper coverts and 

 go about theii- business. We shall now 

 notice the prominent, and always constant 

 bright yellow rump, with iiujre or less of 

 yellowish on the wings, and that the upper 

 parts are continuously streaked with dark, 

 olivaceous brown, and also that the bill is 

 quite acute. With this we are prepared to 

 say that our birds ai-e Pine-linnets (Chrys- 

 omitris jtinus.) Other birds will be seen 

 and undoubtedly something new will be 

 learned about them, but a full account of 

 just what may be seen hereabouts on a 

 Winter's day will be deferred until another 

 time. — G. li. C, Noi-icich, Conn. 



You can add to our subscrijition list if 

 you will only try. and you will be the 

 ■'ainer in the end. 



