Suggestions for Study 5 



Now that we are in a good place, look around for 

 a bit of cover, a stone wall, or a tree. Established 

 behind this, we wait until the little excitement of 

 our transit has subsided, and our small friends are 

 again entirely absorbed in their own affairs. Now, 

 if a bird is in sight, we are ready to observe him ; 

 if not, we watch quietly. A bending twig or a 

 moving leaf will presently catch our eye, and prove 

 to be the raising of the curtain. We choose a bird, 

 if possible, near the ground ; at all events, one 

 which has some other background than the sky, 

 for any object would look black against that high 

 light ; and we select one as large and conspicuously 

 colored as we can see. For the present we must 

 beware of the sparrows, which are peculiarly diffi- 

 cult to distinguish, and which should ordinarily be 

 undertaken only after some practice. Now we 

 raise the glasses, avoiding such quick or jerky 

 motions as would be likely to call back to our- 

 selves the attention which has been turned away 

 from us, and our study really begins. 



Our bird being well in view, we try to answer as 

 many as possible of these questions : Size larger 

 or smaller than a sparrow than a robin ? Color? 

 Any conspicuous bright colors ? If so, where ? 

 Are there markings on the breast ? If there are 

 no bright colors, are the upper parts uniform in 



