Guide to Taxidermy 



31 



The man who knows birds by both sight and 

 song has a tremendous advantage over him who 

 does not. 



He can single out the specimens he wants by 

 sound, go to them and get them, while his com- 

 panion simply trusts to luck. Make it your busi- 

 ness to look up any "new" notes and find out what 

 they are. 



Aside from advantages in collecting, the man 

 who knows the songs and calls of birds, who can 

 recognize their flight, as well as know their plum- 

 age and habits, can get 1000 per cent, more enjoy- 

 ment out of a walk in the woods than the one who 

 notices nothing unless it is called to his attention. 



When to Find Birds 



By far the best season to see birds and learn 

 them is in the Spring. They are in full plumage 

 and full song, making it easy to find them and also 

 to learn how they look. The scientific collector 

 aims to get at least the male, female and young of 

 the year. Young males are usually similar to the 

 female in coloration and it often takes several 

 years to attain their perfect plumage. No taxider- 

 mist, collector or bird student should be without a 

 field glass to distinguish species and to enable him 

 to secure the best; the ones that are in the most 

 perfect plumage. 



