250 AN INTRODUCTION TO THE BIRD WORLD 



Families and the prominent types representing them. De- 

 tails regarding anatomy, seasonal changes, migration, breed- 

 ing habits, distribution and exact food habits can be sought 

 later on, and found in great abundance in the wealth of 

 beautiful bird-books now available at small cost. In present- 

 ing herein the individual birds which have been chosen to 

 represent the different groups, we shall strive to give in a few 

 words an accurate and clearly defined general impression of 

 each, but no more. 



Remembering the Orders of Birds. — The birds of 

 North America are divided into seventeen Orders, besides 

 which additional Orders exist elsewhere. For the convenience 

 of American readers the American scheme of classification is 

 followed; but that scheme leaves out entirelv many Orders of 

 birds of the Old World. Under different circumstances, the 

 reader might find some difficulty in remembering these 

 Orders, and the relations they bear toward each other. In 

 this, however, we find ourselves aided by Nature in a remark- 

 able way. 



By a very simple and natural arrangement, with fair re- 

 gard to the forms and habits of birds, and their haunts upon ■ 

 the earth, it is possible to show upon a chart the following 

 facts: 



1. The various Orders of North American birds; 



2. The relative size of each Order, in number of species; 



3. The haunts of each Order, on land or water, and 



4. Approximately, the rank of each order, from lowest to 

 highest. 



On the accompanying chart of bird life an ideal panorama 



