16 THE EXTENSION 
Keep the sun at your back as much as possible in order 
to see colors clearly. Be alert to every movement and 
sound. Opera or field-glasses are exceedingly useful in 
making out details. ‘Always carry a small pocket note book 
and pencil and jot down notes and sketches at once while 
facts are fresh in mind. 
Learn the parts of a bird’s body as this will greatly 
increase facility in accurate observation and _ recording. 
(See figure of bird topography.) 
2. Study of Birds Afield: 
(a) Size, form, general color and any special mark- 
ings such as spots, stripes, bars, borders or bands on head, 
back, breast, wings and tail by which it may be recognized. 
Do colors blend with surroundings? Approximate length 
and shape of bill, neck, wings, body, tail, legs and toes. 
Learn to sketch birds showing form and indicating color 
pattern, if possible, color with colored pencils, crayons or 
water-colors. 
(b) Manner of Flight:—How does it start? Is flight 
light or heavy? Are wings flapped constantly or at inter- 
vals? If at intervals, how are wings held in the meantime? 
Does it soar? Is flight in a straight line, an undulating line, 
a zig-zag or a circle? Does it alight lightly and well balanced 
or awkwardly? Does it alight in trees, on the ground, or in 
water? If it alightsin water, does it come down with a splash, 
a dip or settle gently on the water? Can it catch insects on 
the wing? Can it catch insects or other prey in water with- 
out alighting or entering the water? Does it usually fly 
long or short distances? Do they fly singly or in flocks? 
Does this vary with the season? In what position are the 
legs and neck carried during the flight? These points are 
especially useful in learning to recognize birds at sight. 
(ec) Does it walk, run, hop or swim? Was it on a 
tree trunk, among the limbs or leaves, on the ground or in 
the air or water? 
(d) Nesting habits~—In studying nesting habits be 
careful not to frighten the parent birds or injure the nest 
or eggs. Never handle the eggs. On what day were they 
first observed building a nest? Where is the nest placed 
eg: on tree, shrub, ground, grass, eaves or bridge? Of 
what is the nest made? Is it neatly, compactly and strong- 
ly built? What is the size and shape of the nest? How 
many eggs are laid? When do they begin laying eggs? 
What is the size, form and color of the egg? How many 
