24 A LESSON IN BIRD STUDY. 



small, destroys thousands of noxious insects that 

 would soon play havoc with our vegetation if al- 

 lowed to live. Do not think, either, that because 

 you are a bird-student you must have a mounted 

 collection of birds, or that you must catch them 

 for cages. They are far more interesting in the 

 bush and on the wing than in confinement, and 

 sing much more gayly. What active boy or girl 

 would like to be cooped up in a room on a blight 

 day of spring? Well, the birds enjoy out-door 

 life as much as the boys and girls do. It is a 

 good thing to remember and heed the Golden 

 Rule in our treatment of the living creatures 

 around us. 



In the study of birds you cannot succeed very 

 well without an opera-glass. A good one is a 

 little expensive, it is true, but it would be better 

 to spend money in that way than for trifles. Such 

 a glass will enable you to see the markings of a 

 bird at a distance, whereas if you use only the 

 naked eye you cannot get near enough to identify 

 many shy birds. Some of the rarest and most 

 beautiful species have the provoking habit of haunt- 

 ing the tops of tall trees, or remaining just far 

 enough away from the observer to make their 

 identification impossible without a glass. Besides, 



