IV 



the County in which they reside ; pursuing this plan, they would 

 be enabled to obtain such species of birds as visit their section, 

 and also have an opportunity of studying their habits, which affords 

 greater pleasure than labelling a dried skin, received from a dis- 

 tance. In this way I have no doubt that many interesting facts 

 would be acquired relative to the migration and habitsof manyspeciea 

 of which at present we know but little ; and it is highly probable 

 that ne^y species would be discovered even in those sections 

 supposed to be thoroughly explored, leaving the remote re- 

 gions to the taste and liberality of travellers, or to some adventu- 

 rous spirit like Townsend, who enriched our Ornithology by disco- 

 veries made during his journey across the Rocky Mountains, and 

 along the shores of the Columbia River. 



The ocaurrence on Long Island of many species that are rarely 

 ■or never observed in other parts of the middle districts, will doubt- 

 less appear somewhat remarkable to those who are unacquainted 

 with the locality ; but when they examine the map, and find that 

 this lengthy and comparatively narrow Island extends some dis- 

 tance into the ocean nearly at right angles with the southern por- 

 tion of the coast of the United States, comprising within its bound- 

 aries numerous bays, inlets, shoals, and bars, abounding with all 

 the varieties of food peculiar to almost every species of marine 

 birds, it will not seem surprising that those species which are more 

 abundant in the higher as well as the more temperate latitudes, 

 should, in their wanderings, visit these hospitable shores. — 

 Not only is our section the resort for nearly every species of 

 Water Bird found within the limits of the United States, but out 

 of more than five hundred birds now ascertained to belons to North 

 America, two hundred and eighty-six have been known to 

 visit this far-famed Island. Indeed, ^no portion of our country, of 

 the same extent, is richer in resources for the student of Natural 



