26 HOW TO STUDY BIRDS 



or a duck when they see it. There are various kinds 

 or species of sparrows, hawks, and ducks, but the 

 several species in each of these groups have " a family 

 likeness," certain general characteristics in common. 

 Now there are not so many of these groups but that 

 one can give a distinct idea of each without too great 

 effort. Then, when a bird is clearly seen, one will 

 have a pretty good idea as to where it belongs, and 

 will only have to compare descriptions of a few species 

 to find the right one. 



There is a great difference in the state of mind of 

 the person equipped with this knowledge who tries to 

 identify birds and that of another who encounters the 

 birds afield without it. I recall most vividly my first 

 meeting, when a boy, with a certain common bird, and 

 how utterly puzzled I was. One day in late autumn, 

 as I passed through a grove in the suburbs of Boston, 

 I came close upon a tiny bird with a small, rather 

 sharp bill, black crown and throat, gray back, and 

 white underparts. It was busily examining the ends 

 of the branches, sometimes hanging head down, often 

 uttering a series of animated notes. 



I had not the remotest idea what the bird could be. 

 Never had I seen anything like it. Perhaps it was a 

 new species, that wonder which beginners sometimes 

 hope to find in the most thoroughly explored re- 

 gions! At home I had a great time searching the 

 bird-books from cover to cover. At last, slowly and 

 painfully, I became convinced that it was only a com- 

 mon chickadee ! Had I spent a little time before in 



