METHOD AND EQUIPMENT 27 



a " bird's-eye view " I should have known it could 

 not have Been anything else than a titmouse or nut- 

 hatch, unless possibly a warbler. Here is another 

 case when, after taking the bird's-eye view, an iden- 

 tification was comparatively easy. Along a roadside, 

 in some choke-cherry shrubbery I saw a bird about the 

 size of a bluebird, with a rather sharp bill and of a 

 general olive and yellowish hue with a black patch on 

 the throat. I knew at once it must be some sort of an 

 oriole. It was not the Baltimore, and the orchard 

 oriole was the only other kind known to occur in 

 New England. But I had never seen a female or- 

 chard oriole with a black throat. So, what could it 

 be but some rare tropical species which had strayed 

 up there! An excited looking up of the orchard 

 oriole showed that this was the plumage of the young 

 male in the second year. But for my having in mind 

 the general characteristics of the oriole group, it 

 would have been quite a problem to trace this out. 



The best course for beginning to become familiar 

 with these groups is to find out in the bird-books what 

 are the principal groups represented in the region 

 where one lives. Then, if possible, go to a museum 

 and examine a few of the species in each group. In 

 this way one will get a very vivid idea of family re- 

 semblances, and it will be a mighty help afield. If 

 there is ho museum near, make the same study from 

 pictures of birds. In case there are none at home, 

 the public library may help out. 



In order to be properly equipped for good work 



