^otes from JTtelti anti ^tutip 



A Correction 



Through a typographical error the Tree 

 Sparrow was included in the Census of 

 Mrs. Herbert R. Mills of Tampa, Florida, 

 published in the January-February, 1916, 

 issue of Bird-Lore. The record should 

 have read Tree Swallow. — Editor. 



Hints for Bird Clubs 



The greatest problem with most of our 

 bird clubs seems to be: What can we do to 

 make our meetings interesting, so that all 

 the members, especially the younger ones, 

 will be anxious to come? 



In planning for parties, picnics, or other 

 entertainments of that sort, we usually 

 expect to have everyone present take a 

 part in whatever games or sports there 

 are, and, no matter how often we have 

 them, there is never any question but that 

 all who can do so will be there. I believe 

 that bird-club meetings can be made 

 equally attractive if we go about them in 

 the same way, rather than to plan some 

 sort of entertainment where only a few 

 are to have a part, as is usually the case. 



There is almost no limit to the number of 

 interesting and instructive things we can 

 do, and it will be possible for even the 

 more advanced bird students to learn 

 something new at nearly every meeting. 



Every member should have a note- 

 book for keeping a record of the birds seen 

 and identified, with any new or interest- 

 ing things observed, for comparison with 

 others at each meeting; and each member 

 should have a standing in the club accord- 

 ing to the number of birds identified and 

 the amount of work done for the birds. 

 This will be an inducement for each mem- 

 ber to do something or learn something 

 new before the next meeting, and to be 

 present at all the meetings, to learn what 

 others have done. It will also be found 

 helpful in learning about birds and in 

 remembering what is seen; for, unless we 



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have some special reason for noting care- 

 fully all that may be seen on our walks, 

 even the most interested observers will 

 miss many things, and will forget much 

 of what they did see. 



When about to start on a walk of about 

 three miles, one bright pleasant morning 

 last June, I decided to keep a list of all 

 the birds seen and heard from the time I 

 started until I returned. The walk was 

 finished between twelve and one o'clock, 

 when most of the birds were quiet and few 

 were seen; yet I saw 105 birds on the trip, 

 and had a good idea of the number and 

 variety of birds one might see at this time 

 of the year. If I had kept no record of the 

 number, I could not have told how many I 

 was likely to see, or which species would 

 be seen oftenest. All such things will 

 prove interesting at the meetings, and will 

 add largely to our knowledge of birds in 

 the course of a year. 



In winter, we should note the feeding 

 habits of the different birds and the num- 

 ber and kinds of winter visitors seen; it is 

 also a good time to make a study of nests, 

 where they are placed, and the material 

 used in each. 



In summer, there will be something for 

 every day if we have our eyes open; nest- 

 ing habits, bird-baths, and occasionally 

 some rare migrant to tell about. It would 

 be impossible to give a complete list of the 

 interesting things to be seen at this time. 



Every club should own a few good 

 reference books, and have them at their 

 meetings, to settle any questions that may 

 arise. The 'Color Key to North American 

 Birds,' by Chapman, will be found useful 

 for identification, 'Wild Bird Guests,' by 

 Baynes, for matters pertaining to bird 

 clubs and bird protection, also 'Useful 

 Birds and their Protection,' by Forbush. 



There are many others that would 

 prove beneficial, but these three are almost 

 indispensable, if we would learn the ways 

 of our wild bird friends and what we can 

 do to help them. 



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