52 Bulletin 8 



that all are doing, he will pay particular attention to the one part 

 which belongs to him especially. 



B. Preliminary Study 



As many articles and books as can be found treating of the song 

 sparrow should be procured and parcelled out to the members of the 

 group. The files of bird magazines should be gone through system- 

 atically in order to glean all such matter. Make a card index by 

 topics. Have reports read on this preliminary reading at meetings 

 prior to the beginning of the field work. 



C. Records 



It will be desirable to keep uniform records and they had better 

 be planned in advance to secure uniformity and completeness. Loose 

 leaf note books should be provided by each member. At the close of 

 the work, the leaves may be rearranged without the covers in card 

 index form, guide cards being introduced for separate headings. One 

 point which cannot be too emphatically made is in regard to the danger 

 of not keeping full notes. Considerable practice is necessary and fre- 

 quent checking by the person in charge through the season is of much 

 importance. 



D. Population 



The first appearance of the song sparrow, the first nest built, the 

 total population during the nesting season, the beginning of migration 

 in the fall, the last straggler — these should all be carefully recorded. 

 One or two persons will be especially assigned to this task. The other 

 members of the group will be as apt to make the observations, but the 

 careful records should be kept by the person specially designated. 

 With regard to the taking of the census during the height of the sea- 

 son, very careful observation will be necessary. The area may well 

 be sub-divided into portions which are gone over repeatedly by an 

 individual or two, and the work must be thoroughly done, but without 

 alarming the birds any more than is necessary. 



E. Nests 



A chart or map of the area having been made during the prepara- 

 tions, the location of uneven ground, swamps, large trees, bushes, tall 

 grass, rocks, etc., should be indicated by symbols as in the government 

 topographic maps. The location of each nest is then indicated by 

 a conspicuous symbol, to which a number is appended. These nests 



