HON, LO STUDY HIM 141 
nearer to the bird without frightening him. 
You can see thus much better, not only his 
markings, but what he is doing. In a word, 
you can be more sure of your facts. 
In deciding upon the actions of a bird, never 
guess at anything. If you see a pair very busy 
about a shrub, you may be sure they have a 
nest there, but do not so record it till you have 
actually seen the nest. Even then you should 
not conclude at once that it belongs to them ; 
I have seen birds sit a few moments in nests 
which did not belong to them —as if to try 
them. You may feel very sure what a bird 
means by an action, but you should set down 
only what he does. Without this care, your 
records will be worthless. 
Do not discourage yourself by trying to find 
the name of every tiny atom in feathers that you 
see; indeed, little birds flitting about the tree- 
tops — mostly warblers— will be hard for you 
to identify, and almost impossible to watch. I 
advise you to confine your study at first to the 
larger and less lively birds, — kingbirds, robins, 
thrushes, pheebes, bluebirds, orioles, goldfinches, 
and others, all of which you will find near to 
houses and easy to study. Do not expect too 
much at once, nor give up in despair if you can- 
not identify the first bird you see. 
