INTRODUCTORY xix 



them under my personal care more than two thousand 

 miles to the spot where I sat. The wonderful canvasbacks 

 were diving and eating the succulent roots which they 

 brought to the surface. The light glanced resplendent from 

 their delicately pencilled backs and gleamed in the fiery 

 eyes of the males. Was it tedious to sit there so long in the 

 cold April wind? Nay, rather in my delight I was oblivious 

 to the passing of time. 



Much the same feeling may be kindled when a pair of 

 bluebirds, wrens, or chickadees accept our hospitality and 

 raise a brood or two in one of our nesting-boxes; or when 

 the chipping sparrows and phoebes use the building material 

 we have put out for them, and nest in the woodbine or un- 

 der the porch by our very door. 



There are also many who, besides enjoying the sight and 

 presence of wild birds, will utilize the methods hereafter 

 described to increase or propagate certain species for pur- 

 poses of food, financial profit, or hunting. These demands 

 properly met need not diminish the supply of wild birds, 

 but may serve to increase them. The old adage is becoming 

 popular, "For every bird you take, put back two." 



The best type of sportsman is not a person greedy for 

 slaughter. He loves the whole experience of a day afield, 

 the exhilarating exercise, the matching of his wits with the 

 keen instincts of the wild creatures. A mere taste of the 

 game on the table is enough, and he forbears to kill more. 

 He feeds the game in winter and takes measures to propa- 

 gate or protect it from natural enemies and dangers. On 

 many a hunt, when he secures no game, he enjoys the ex- 

 perience to the full. Such a man saves more than he de- 

 stroys, and is a real friend of wild bird life, standing for strict 

 protective laws and the rigid enforcement of them. 



The actual propagation of edible species for purposes of 



