HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 



When seeing a bird you do not know, first of all make 

 a mental note of your environment. This will decide 

 which of the five Habitat Headings you should look 

 under. 



At the same time try and visualise the colour- 

 appearance of the bird, and also its size — ^whether 

 small, medium or large. 



Then turn to one of the appropriate Tables — see 

 pages 12 to 14 — and you should without much difficulty 

 be able to place your bird or at any rate find a clue to its 

 identity. 



If at this stage you are not convinced as to the species 

 turn to the body of the book and read carefully. 



In addition to noting its colour and size, you may 

 have observed some characteristic habit, in flight, gait 

 or language, and reference to such will be found which 

 will enable you to settle the question. 



To take an example of three of our commonest summer 

 visitors : 



Habitat — the garden, etc. Observed several small, 

 dusky birds flying rapidly in the air during the summer- 

 time. 



Consult table of Migrant Birds of the Garden, etc. 

 Look under column " Black or black and white," and 

 you will find five species mentioned. 



You saw one or other of these — the first two you can 

 probably eliminate as the White Wagtail is only a 

 casual visitor, and the Pied Flycatcher is local in distri- 

 bution. 



The three remaining possibilities are our old friends 

 the Swallow, the House Martin and the Swift. 



Consult the information as to these birds in the body 

 of the book, and you should soon be able to decide which 

 of the three species you saw. 



