INTRODUCTION. 



My reason for writing a book upon birds with such a limit- 

 ed scope as the present, is because 1 am sure, from a some- 

 what extended experience, that it is better for those beginning 

 the study of ornithology to first become thorougly acquainted 

 w4th some one group of birds, than to acquire a smattering 

 knowledge of many. I have therefore selected the largest and 

 in some ways the most important family of our New England 

 birds, partly, because it is the most extended, but more par- 

 ticularly, because there is no season of the year, w^hen some 

 members of it are not to be found with us. 



In my walks in the fields and woods with my many pupils, 

 I have found that some experience great difficulty m learn- 

 ing to distinguish birds, either by sight or by hearing their 

 songs. This difficulty, it appears to me, is really due to the 

 fact that the observer is trying to grasp an entirely new, and 

 too vast a subject without a sufficient training of eye and ear. 



This being undoubtedly the case with so many, it appears 

 best to begin with a group of birds, most of which are of a 

 sufficient size to be readily seen and which not only have 

 prominent, characteristic markings, but which also have songs 

 which are readily distinguishable. We will take as an ex- 

 ample three of most closely allied species which we have, 

 all belonging to one genus of small Sparrows, and all having 

 the characters of a clear crown, forked tail and no streaks be- 

 neath ; the Chipping, Tree and Field Sparrows. The first can 

 be readily told by the black line through the eye, the second 



