CHAPTER XIX 



THE BIRD CENSUS AND FOOD CHART 



SCARCELY any one line of nature study possesses so 

 many interesting features as that connected with keeping 

 track of the number of birds in a neighborhood, with a 

 view to increasing the more desir- 

 able species. The best method 

 of making a bird census is to 

 count the nests in a certain dis- 

 trict as soon as the leaves fall 



FIG. 121. CEDAR BIRD AND NEST 



in autumn. 1 People generally 



would find it interesting to do this for their city lots or 

 dooryards ; and if they would send the results from year 

 to year to their local bird club, to some bird magazine, 

 or to the writer, valuable data might be gathered as to 

 the hoped-for increase of our native birds in different 

 parts of the country. It is helpful for schools, besides 

 being good geography work, to make a chart or map of 

 the district, with each house, tree, hedge, vine, bush, and 

 thicket in its proper place. The separate counting of 

 each kind of tree gives the children a good reason for 

 learning the different species, and, if any bird shows 

 preferences for particular trees, this fact will be brought 

 out. Essays and language lessons may be devoted to 



1 I take pleasure in acknowledging for this valuable suggestion my 

 indebtedness to Frank M. Chapman. 



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