HOW TO USE THIS BOOK 



WHEN seeing a bird you do not know, first of all make 

 a mental note of your environment. This will decide 

 which of the five Habitat Headings you should look 

 under. 



At the same time try and visualise the colour- 

 appearance of the bird, and also its size whether 

 small, medium or large. 



Then turn to one of the appropriate Tables see 

 pages 12 to 14 and you should without much difficulty 

 be able to place your bird or at any rate find a clue to its 

 identity. 



If at this stage you are not convinced as to the species 

 turn to the body of the book and read carefully. 



In addition to noting its colour and size, you may 

 have observed some characteristic habit, in flight, gait 

 or language, and reference to such will be found which 

 will enable you to settle the question. 



To take an example of one of our commonest birds : 



Habitat the garden. Observed a black-looking bird 

 of medium size on the lawn. 



Consult table of Resident Birds of the Garden, etc. 

 Look under column " Black or dusky medium," and 

 you will find blackbird or starling. 



You saw one or other of these two birds. 



Consult both blackbird and starling in the body of the 

 book, and you should rapidly be able to decide which 

 of these two birds you saw. 



Repeat the process with any other birds you may see 



and wish to know, and with careful observation and 



scrutiny of the tables and information in the book you 



will soon find yourself readily able to identify the species. 



9 B 



