PRACTICAL WORK TO BE DONE 247 



of our birds without killing one; and any person who can at 

 sight recognize and claim acquaintance with that number of 

 bird species may justly claim to be well informed on our 

 birds. Because birds are more common than quadrupeds, 

 bird-books are also more common, and now the most of them 

 are beautifully illustrated. The road to ornithology is now 

 strewn with flowers, and the rough places have been made 

 smooth. 



The time was when the analysis and classification of our 

 American birds were important work, because our bird fauna 

 was only partially discovered and written up. In their days, 

 Audubon, Wilson, Baird and Coues did grand work, because 

 so many birds were strange, and needed introducing. The 

 time was when analyzing, naming and working up geo- 

 graphical distribution were desirable and necessary. But in 

 North America that period has gone by! There is no longer any 

 real need for new technical books on the birds of this conti- 

 nent north of Mexico. The describing and re-describing, the 

 naming, re-naming and tre-naming of microscopic varieties, 

 has been done enough, and in places overdone. The total 

 sum of bird facts available regarding the birds of North 

 America is already enormous. It is time to digest those 

 facts and see what they mean. 



Practical Work to be Done. — Henceforth, these things 

 should be done by all bird-lovers for our American birds: 



1. Join actively in protecting the few birds that remain, 

 and help to save them from complete extermination. 



2. Aid in teaching the millions how to know and enjoy 

 the beautiful and useful birds without destroying them. 



