A CHART OF BIRD LIFE 251 



of land and water is divided between the various Orders of 

 North American birds, just as we find them in Nature. By 

 a fortunate coincidence the Orders that are lowest in the scale 

 of natural classification are those containing the sea birds, 

 of deep water, which therefore belong at the bottom of the 

 chart. On the other hand, the birds that are highest in the 

 zoological scale — the perching birds — are also the birds of 

 the tree-tops, and must be placed at the top of the chart. 



The birds of the shore, the river bank and the uplands 

 have their respective areas in the middle portion of the scale, 

 and we are thus enabled to see almost at a glance the geog- 

 raphy of the bird world, at least as we find it in North 

 America. 



Beginning with the highest, we shall endeavor to point 

 out the leading characters of the various Orders, and the 

 examples which best represent them. Just at present, how- 

 ever, it is not wise for the reader to go too far into the sub- 

 divisions of the Orders, and only the most important Families 

 will be mentioned by name. 



Any reader who is unwilling to devote a few hours to 

 learning the names and places of the various orders of birds 

 may as well refrain from attempting to know our feathered 

 friends; for that knowledge is quite as necessary as founda- 

 tion stones are to a tall building. The names of the Orders 

 must be learned, and remembered! For the purpose of making 

 the contents of each Order familiar to the reader, representa- 

 tives of the most important Families it contains will be men- 

 tioned, and illustrated by the presentation of at least one 

 species. 



