Birds 



269 



the motion of twigs or leaves, and listen to the various 

 sounds. A windy day is unfavorable for bird study. 



In a good locality for birds you may succeed in ob- 

 serving them if you sit down and allow the birds to 

 come to you. If you have opera or field glasses, prac- 

 tice using them so as to bring a bird quickly into clear 

 view. Try mimicking some of the birds you hear ; you 

 may succeed in calling them to you. 



When you see an unfamiliar bird, make notes that 

 will help you to identify it in a museum or by the use 

 of a bird book. Compare its size with that of some 

 common bird. Notice whether its bill is slender and 

 straight, whether its wings and tail are short, any color 

 markings you are able to see, and how it is getting food. 

 Do not stop to make notes until you have watched the 

 bird for some minutes or have lost track of it. 



FIG. 160. A call for insect food.' 



Pinky 6r Bohlman 



