WINGS AND FEET 



stones. The case of the Ipswich sparrow, a 

 bird that breeds only at Sable Island and visits 

 the sandy Atlantic shores in winter, is a striking 

 illustration of the difference in the two methods. 

 Formerly ornithologists made visits to the sea- 

 shore dunes in late fall and early spring, and 

 considered themselves fortunate if they flushed 

 half a dozen of these birds at long range in a 

 day's tramp, and succeeded in shooting two 

 or three on the wing. Now the student watches 

 them within a few yards, and is able to note all 

 the peculiarities of markings and habits. I 

 have tried both methods and I know whereof 

 I speak. In a comparatively unexplored 

 region like Labrador, however, it is well to 

 have two strings to one's bow. 



Being burdened somewhat with a New Eng- 

 land conscience, I am glad I began bird-study 

 before the days of hand-books and Audubon 

 societies, in the good old times when a gun was 

 used for identification, for I think that course 

 of study gives one a grounding that it is 

 difficult to get otherwise. Nowadays there is 

 no excuse for the beginner to use a gun, and 

 there is no need of multiplying collections of 

 bird-skins, but it should be impressed on all 

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