Beginning the Study 13 



recommend two works of the kind that cover the entire 

 avian field for residents of the United States. They are 

 new, up-to-date, and convenient. To those who live 

 east of the Mississippi River I would commend Mr. 

 Frank M. Chapman's "Handbook of Birds of Eastern 

 North America." The best praise I can bestow upon 

 this book is to assure you that it will give entire satis- 

 faction as a handbook. Happily another manual (Mrs. 

 Florence M. Bailey's "Handbook of Birds of the Westeni 

 United States") was recently issued, treating the avi- 

 fauna west of the Mississippi just as thoroughly as Mr. 

 Chapman's work deals with that of the eastern part of 

 our country. Both books contain lavish illustrations 

 by expert and accurate bird artists a feature that is 

 invaluable in the work of identification. They possess 

 a further advantage in not being too large to be carried 

 with you in your excursions afield, enabling you to .name 

 each feathered stranger on the spot. 



Should you desire a single volume that will help you 

 to identify any bird you may meet on our continent, I 

 would urge you to secure the latest revised edition of 

 Dr. Elliott Coues's "Key to North American Birds." 

 It is fully illustrated, thoroughly scientific and up-to- 

 date in 'the matter of classification, and yet not too 

 technical for practical use. This book is too bulky to 

 be carried with you to the haunts of the birds, but it 

 may be used in this way: Note carefully the markings 

 and other peculiarities of each new bird you meet ; then, 

 as soon as you return home, while all the circumstances 



