iv PREFATORY NOTE 



Prospect Park, Brooklyn ; while Mr. H. E. Park- 

 hurst has himself seen ninety-four species in 

 Central Park, and as many as a hundred and 

 forty-two have been recorded altogether. 



The question, then, is not one of finding birds, 

 but of knowing their names when they are found ; 

 and here the way of the beginner is hard. Years 

 of experience with field classes of such beginners 

 has made me appreciate the peculiar disadvan- 

 tages under which they labor, and I have written 

 this book to make it possible for them to know 

 the birds without shooting them. I have done 

 this by borrowing only necessary statistics from 

 the ornithologies, giving untechnical descriptions, 

 and illustrated keys based on such colors and 

 markings as any one can note in the field ; for I 

 have written for those who do not know a Crow 

 or a Robin as well as for boys who would get a 

 start in bird-work, and teachers who would pre- 

 pare themselves for this increasingly popular 

 branch of nature study. 



To open the way for more intimate acquaint- 

 ance after the formalities of introduction are over, 

 I have offered suggestions on how to observe in 

 the field (see Appendix, p. 380), hoping that the 

 friendship thus acquired by seeing the songsters 



