POSSIBILITIES OF THE VERMONT BIRD CLUB. 



BY MRS. A. B. MORGAN. 



With the idea of increasing the efficiency and usefulness of 

 the Vermont Bird Club, I wish to suggest a few ideas for the 

 consideration of its members. 



Although a good number keep bird records and report any 

 observations that are out of the ordinary, the broader and more 

 general phases of bird study have not been attempted by any 

 great number of members. Migration, songs, nesting habits, 

 eggs, diet, ecology, photography in connection with bird study, 

 comparative study ot birds in different parts of the state, com- 

 parison with those of other New England states, preservation of 

 bird skins, the making of collections and the use of collections, 

 all of these subjects are capable of yielding a vast amount of 

 interest and information, if the Executive Committee will 

 formulate a plan and assign definite work to members, 



I suggest that work on migration be done by four or five 

 members in different parts of the state for comparison of both 

 spring and fall dates, observation of weather conditions, feeding 

 grounds, and routes. 



Members of the Club who are musical might volunteer to 

 study bird songs and give the results to the Club. The study of 

 bird notes has been done very successfully by one of our mem- 

 bers in the Hartland Club. 



There is a wide field for the sttdy of the nesting habits and 

 eggs of birds. In this connection photography is of immense value. 

 The taking of pictures showing the favorite haunts of species 

 would be of interest, especially if some of the pictures were en- 

 larged. Here again volunteers from the ranks of the camera 

 fiends would be in order. 



Personal observations on the diet of birds supplemented by 

 the study of scientific reports would be a good work for some of 

 our masculine members. 



The work of comparative study of birds of different sections 

 of the state already done successfully by certain members might 

 well be extended to include the study of birds of the other New 

 England states. This would mean putting ourselves in touch 

 with noted bird students and with other State Bird Clubs, there- 

 by enhancing our interest and knowledge. Speaking from a 

 personal standpoint, the study of collections has done more to 



