1 4 THE AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



INTRODUCTION TO A STUDY OF BIRD LIFE. 



BY EDWARD WII.I.IAM AND BROTHER ALPHONSUS, C. S. C. 



Very early in the life of every child that is brought into the 

 nice of nature, there springs up in his heart a sympathy and 

 love for the beautiful creatures that a kind Creator lias made to 

 fly and to sing. Especially is this true of the more fortunate children 

 who live in the country, and early learn the secrets that nature 

 reveals to them. As the country boy grows up he insensibly finds 

 in everything that meets his eyes, in the beautiful panorma spread 

 out before him, countless charms to quicken his fancy and 

 strengthen his mind. In fact, he enjoys with nature a true compan- 

 ionship, but especially is this so with his feathered friends, the 

 birds. 



While enjoying this delightful companionship, our country- 

 bred boy is forming one of the most useful and necessary habits 

 — that of observation, hirst he sees things, and gradually comes 

 to know much that is suggested by what he observes. Then he 

 develops the power of comparing things, and here he enters a 

 region that proves exceedingly rich in storing his mind with the 

 lore of nature, and is yet more fruitful in exercising and perfecting 

 his mental faculties. And among all that he sees and hears, nothing 

 appeals to him more keen])' than the multitudinous bird life by 

 which he is surrounded. 



After observing for some time, our country boy has become a 

 youth, and with his mind developed by the best of teachers — nature, 

 he enters high school, where his intellect must meet many others. 

 Already so well equipped in some ways, he eagerly takes part in 

 the discussion of the class-room, and in due time will, if endowed 

 with good talents, easily be among the best of his classmates. 

 Here he shines in the study of natural history, and his teacher is 

 quite certain to trust any of his observations. Familiarity with 

 manuals on bird life will soon make him a competent ornithologist. 

 From the school to the specialists' club is but an easy step for our 

 young naturalist, and his membership is welcome even to the 

 experienced ornitholigists whom he there meets. 



but let us retrace our way a little, and note more carefully 

 how our young ornithologist learned to identify so many bird-. 



