iD Tin; AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



1 1 is with pleasure that I begin to relate to you my experiences 

 in the study of bird life. Having been introduced to you by my 

 esteemed friend and fellow-naturalist, Brother Alphonsus, of 

 Noire Dame University, I shall proceed without further allusion 

 to the early part of my career. [ soon found that to do efficient 

 work as an ornithologist, I would have to make three divisions of 

 mv subject namely, migration, distribution, and habits of birds. 

 1 also found that I could not simultaneously pursue all of the three 

 divisions, for a different method would be required — -at least to 

 study the habits of birds. For this purpose the observer must not 

 move much, but must patiently pick up the many interesting things 

 about the life of a bird that are revealed to the careful and peristent 

 student. In fact, ten years would not be too long to devote, either 

 to the study of the habits, or the migration and distribution of 

 our birds. I began with the latter division for a number of reasons, 

 mainly these: in studying the migration and distribution of birds, 

 the observer has better opportunities to add new species to his 

 ever growing list; he also gets needed exercise from the constant 

 walking that is necessitated to find as many migrants as possible. 



Incidentally, I may say, the student of bird life receives a 

 great deal of pleasure in his long and solitary rambles — with only 

 nature for his companion. Sounds and sights attract him every- 

 where, and his power of attention is wonderfully strengthened. 

 He knows too, from experience, where to look for the many different 

 species, w hich are not all found in the same places. Here again there 

 is introduced the element of variety; some days, too he finds 

 more species than on others. 



I think it helpful at the beginning of this paper to give my 

 readers some idea of the character of the land near my university 

 home. Tin' general appearance of the counrty is part wood and 

 part prairie; in the immediate vicinity of the buildings, there 

 are two small lakes formerly one. One of these lakes (that nearest 

 the St. Joseph River, into which it has an outlet) is lower than 

 the other, giving the feature of marsh land. The St. Joseph River, 

 one mile west, is a rapid stream, quite wide, and well-wooded, 

 attracking such species as the Cardinal, Townee, and Red-eyed 

 Vireo. There are no deep woods nearby, which accounts for the 

 absence in summer of the Scarlet Tanager, Tufted Titmouse, 

 Gnatcatcher, and other species loving seclusion. To get around 

 the territory I have described in outline would require about an 



