STRONG] TEACHING A BIRD COURSE 201 



thorough and accurate notes. These are to be placed in a small note 

 book which should be suspended from the clothing, or by a string hung 

 round the neck. Fasten this sheet in your held record book. The field 

 notes should be transferred to catalog cards which should bear the name 

 of the bird in the upper left hand corner. The cards may be arranged 

 alphabetically according to birds. Make complete records so far as pos- 

 sible for every species, on the first trip. On subsequent trips, repeat 

 records where previously made records are defective or where there may 

 be need of repetition. Thus, bird songs may warrant several attempts at 

 description. The following general scheme should be used : 



Size: Compare with some well known bird like the robin, dove, or 

 the English Sparrow ; or give estimated dimensions if practicable. 



Form: Note whether the bird is slender or compact. Compare 

 lengths of tail and wings. Xote shape of bill and mention any other 

 features, like the lengths of the legs and neck when these are long. 



Color: Xote distinctive colors and general color effect at a distance. 



Flight: Observe peculiarities in manner of flight, such as rapidity of 

 wing motion, undulations in flight course as in sparrows; soaring of 

 some birds. 



Swimming : Xote diving ability. Does bird seem to be simply resting 

 on water or feeding? 



Voice: Quality, pitch, loudness, and resemblance to any other well 

 known sounds. Duration: Xote whether a song, a cry, chirp, scream, or 

 chatter. If a song, indicate whether a warble, whistle, trill or otherwise. 



Locality: Xote whether on ground or in a tree, or flying. Mention 

 any other significant points connected with location. 



Birds may be classified according to their breeding habitats as follows : 

 (1) Water birds — found about large bodies of water. (2) Shore birds — 

 characteristically seen on shores of streams, ponds, lakes, etc. (3) Marsh 

 birds — in marshes or in low wet meadows. (4) Land birds. Land birds 

 may be further classified according to habit or location of nest as either : 



(a) Usually on the ground. 



(b) In low trees, in bushes, or in thickets. 



(c) 'in high trees. 



Classify each bird according to the above scheme. 



If the nest is seen, the following should also be noted: (1) Location. 

 (If above ground, how high and on or in what?) (2) Size. (3) Form. 

 (4) Composition. 



Description of eggs, if any occur: (l'* Xumber. (2) Color. (3) Any 

 other points of interest. Tf young are found, note their number and 

 plumage. 



Though student? are kept busy during scheduled periods for 

 work, the picnic spirit is encouraged when the class is together 

 but not on duty. Luncheon arrangements, for instance, are or- 

 g:inized carefully and other details that may give pleasure are 

 v:onsidered. Every effort is made to carry out a program without 

 delays or breaks. 



After the first six weeks when the lantern-slide tests are 

 ended, the Friday lecture period will be used for lantern-slide lec- 

 tures when slides which illustrate nesting habits, behavior, etc., 

 will be used. The other two lectures of each week are devoted 

 to discussions of bird structure, physiology, etc. At the end of 

 the course, each student presents a short paper in which a bird 

 is considered from the standpoint of distribution, classification. 



