Jan. 1883.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



Field Glass. 



The preliminary work of identification 

 is a fascinating pastime of itself, and per- 

 haps a few will be content to stop here, at 

 least, nntil a comjDlete list of the resident 

 birds is obtained. There are others, how- 

 ever, who will wish to go deeper into the 

 study at once. The field is a wide one 

 and the ramifications of study are as 

 ■various and complex as the most enthiasi- 

 astic workers could desire. 



Some pretty discouraging advice has 

 been given by would be authorities con- 

 cerning the first steps to be taken in this 

 study. We are told not to ogle the birds 

 with a glass, but to shoot them forthwith. 



Original research may have required 

 this, and now, in the case of a strange 

 bird, it may be necessary at times to kill 

 it. But for ordinary workers, and for 

 purposes of outdoor study, a live bird, 

 with its habits, habitat, and surroundings, 

 is worth any number of dead birds in the 

 hand. 



Boys and girls should be able to study 

 birds from this standpoint. A few women 

 are interested — many more would be, had 

 the proper encouragement been given. 



A bird may often be identified by a less 

 number of points than those given in the 

 usual descrijDtions. I have often felt the 

 need of a text-book which should give 

 just enough of these points and no more. 

 A book of this kind would be greatly ap- 

 preciated by those studying in this way. 

 For instance: The size being given, the 

 small Maryland Yellow-throat ought to be 

 known by the broad black j^atch from the 

 foreliead through the eye back to the neck, 

 and the rich yellow chin, throat and 

 breast. The black patches look like velvet 

 ear caps run in the direction of the body. 

 The Black and Wliite Creeper needs but 

 little description. It is about the size of 

 a Sparrow and. excepting the belly, is 

 streaked entirely in black and white. The 

 chestnut crown of the Chippy, the pink 



bill and feet of the Field Sparrow, the 

 breast markings of the Song Sparrow and 

 its song, the deep color of the Indigo 

 Bird and its peculiar warble, the black 

 cap of the Chicadee, the two broad black 

 bands around the neck of the Kildeer 

 Plover, and the black crescent on the 

 breast of the Golden-winged Woodpecker 

 ought to be sufficient, with measurements, 

 to enable one to identify them. 



As soon as a bird is under observation 

 an earnest effort should be made to leara 

 its various calls and songs. These are 

 often necessary factors where doubt ex- 

 ists on other points. A good illustration 

 of this is seen in the first attempts of the 

 noAdce ■ to identify the Pewees. These 

 birds are colored somewhat alike, having 

 no very prominent or contrasting marks. 

 There is considerable difference, however, 

 in their notes. The Phoebe's note is live- 

 lier and more rapid than the Wood 

 Pewee's. The latter is a long drawn, 

 plaintive note, which has been aptly called 

 " a human sigh." Another decisive point 

 is the time of arrival in the Spring. The 

 Phoebe arrives a month earlier than the 

 Wood Pewee, sometimes by the middle of 

 March. Then we shall see it often in the 

 woods in the vicinity of water and along 

 the water courses. Another good illus- 

 tration of the value of a note is seen in 

 that of the Yellow-breasted Chat. The 

 first time I ever saw this bird my atten- 

 tion was arrested by a note, somewhat 

 rapidly repeated, which seemed in every 

 sense of the word a Chat. I soon saw 

 the bird with its yellow breast and the 

 name suggested itself at once. In this 

 case the note was quite as important as 

 the color of the plumage. Illustrations 

 of this kind could be greatly multiplied. 



If you are in earnest, ways will soon be 

 found, perhaps original ways of your own, 

 to enable you to become acquainted with 

 every bird to be seen. 



It is a pretty little game, from first to 

 last, a sort of hide-and-seek affair in which 



