204 Felger, Card System of Note-keeping. [atoM 



accompany the notes may be placed on the blank sides of the cards, 

 and the same filed with the note cards. 



The cards may be arranged in one's file as a whole in chrono- 

 logical order with a 'condition card' leading each day's notes, or, 

 as I myself keep them, the 'barred cards' together with their 

 'extension cards' may be arranged chronologically according to 

 each species, the 'condition cards' being kept chronologically 

 in a separate file. My own cards are arranged by genera, and 

 within each genus its species, following the same order of sequence 

 as that adopted by the A. O. U. To indicate the positions of 

 genera I use colored 'J guide cards' containing the generic names. 

 To indicate the positions of species within each genus I use differ- 

 ently colored 'J guide cards' containing the specific names. 

 To indicate the positions of the subspecies I use cards of still differ- 

 ent color. 



The following cardinal advantages offered by this system may 

 have already occurred to the reader: (1) By the use of these 

 printed forms no note indicated thereon that should be recorded 

 is ever forgotten, as is lamentably the case when the diary system 

 is employed. (2) The system is self indexing. In running over 

 a hundred cards on a certain species that one is studying it is a 

 very simple matter by reference to the 'barred cards' to select 

 those that contain notes on 'mating,' 'nest-building,' or the like. 

 (3) If the cards on any given species are, arranged chronologic- 

 ally in a horizontal row, one will have in line before him for 

 very easy study all the notes with reference to any desired phase 

 of the bird's life history that he has ever taken; and this without 

 cataloguing or indexing. 



I am convinced that a card system is the only system by which 

 full notes should be kept, and no one, I think, who has had the 

 harrowing experience of indexing and constantly using the diary 

 system will take exception to this statement. The system that I 

 here submit I have given a year's critical trial and am now prepared 

 to recommend it without hesitation to all field workers who endeavor 

 to record copious notes by following a plan that is systematic, readily 

 understood, and easy of reference. 



These cards can be made by any printing establishment pro- 

 vided with a ruling machine at a cost considerably below that of 



