IDENTIFYING BIRDS 41 



cause it is so distinctly black and white, as well as 

 because it leaves the trunk to investigate the various 

 branches. 



As I have already said, it will be of great help to 

 learn the principal groups and families of birds in a 

 general way, and their peculiarities. But when it 

 comes to singling out the particular bird, especially 

 members of the finch or warbler families, and tracing 

 them up, there is really no royal road, save the good 

 old-fashioned way of active following up, careful and 

 alert, noting characteristics of form, color, and mark- 

 ing, and looking it up in the book, unless one is 

 fortunate enough to have experienced friends to 

 whom, or with whom, one may go. Though bird- 

 study and a good many other things in these days have 

 their difficulties reduced to the lowest terms, we have 

 not reached the epoch yet when everything is done 

 for us. 



I am reminded of the remark of a friend of mine, 

 an expert ornithologist. He was kindly undertaking 

 to show me, in a region new to me, the haunts of 

 certain not common warblers, with a view of finding 

 their nests. Arriving in a large area of small scrubby 

 growth bordering some woods, we heard the desired 

 birds sing, and saw them. 



1 Here they are," said he, " and the only way I 

 know of to find their nests is to work. They may be 

 nesting in or under any one of these million or so 

 of bushes and weed-clumps, and if you wish to find 

 them you've got to look in each place till you strike 



