79 



slowly and leisurely along, with little 

 noise of footsteps, and without swinging 

 arms. 



Arrived in your chosen spot look 

 sharply around for the flitting forms of 

 the birds. When you see one, stop at 

 once ; quietly slip your stool off your 

 arm and sit upon it, with as little motion 

 as possible. If you place it against a tree 

 trunk, to furnish a back, you can be com- 

 fortable in that one position an hour 

 without moving. 



Now slowly raise your opera glass to 

 your eyes, adjust the focus to bring the 

 bird clearly before you, and proceed to 

 study him. First you want his de- 

 scription so that you can name him. Look 

 very carefully at him, his size and shape, 

 his coloring above and below, his pecu- 

 liar markings, the shape of his tail at the 

 end, and the color and shape of the beak. 

 As you settle one point write it in your 

 note book, which you have quietly 

 drawn out of its pocket. 



His description recorded, proceed to 

 note his manners ; whether quiet or rest- 

 less, whether he jerks his tail, or his 

 head ; walks or hops. See what he is 

 doing; picking up insects, digging them 

 from bark or ground, seeking them 

 among flowers or leaves, or whether he 

 is eating seeds from the grass or weeds. 

 Sit there as long as that bird is in sight, 

 and note down everything he does, even 

 his calls and his song as it sounds to you. 



When you go home take your manual 



and look for a description that matches 

 yours. This is where troubles begin, not 

 only the obscure scientific terms, and the 

 Latin names, but the knowing where in 

 that big book to start. You will be helped 

 by observing what the bird ate. If he 

 hammered on the bark and picked his 

 food from tree trunk or limb, look 

 among the woodpeckers; if he flew out, 

 made a turn or two and back to his perch 

 seek him among the fly-catchers ; if he 

 was eating seeds, look among the 

 finches ; and so on. 



When by a little work you have passed 

 this Rubicon — where so many turn back 

 discouraged — you will reap your reward, 

 success. Having persevered, and named 

 your bird without help, you will feel a 

 new pleasure in his acquaintance, as if 

 he belonged to you, and you will never 

 forget him. 



Then go out and make acquaintance 

 with another. You will find him easier 

 to identify, and as you will become fa- 

 miliar with its idiosyncrasies the manual 

 will lose its terrors for you. 



Of course all this trouble will be avoid- 

 ed if you begin with the study of scientific 

 ornithology. But in that case you are 

 in danger of becoming absorbed in the 

 science, and getting to care more for the 

 dry bones and the dead skin, than for the 

 living bird, and thus adding one more 

 to the ornithologists, and taking one 

 from the students of life." 



