Bird Study at Wood's Holl — Marine Biological Laboratory 87 



the name Chickadee will interest the musical student, while a rough 

 outline sketch of the crest of the Waxwing, erect and flattened, will 

 recall the bird's striking expression of emotion. Brief notes like 

 these will serve to keep the observers' minds alert, and taken with 

 their list of species seen, give something to distinguish and classify 

 their birds by, on the return home. 



Even with the superficial study of the field class, one will get 

 hints of individual variation in song and habit. When in the field 

 during the nesting season, the class leader should keep as large a 

 calling list as possible, only taking care to guard the feelings of 

 the timid householders. Nothing gives such a good idea of the bird's 

 range of expression in movement, call, note, and song, and of its 

 general intelligence and individuality, or awakens such sympathetic 

 interest in bird life, as consecutive visits to a young family. These 

 should be from the time of the building, when the happy pair are 

 seen working together with rare skill upon their home, through the 

 brooding, when the male feeds his mate and sings to her on the 

 nest, or takes her place while she rests, to the days when the two 

 are again working together caring for their hungry nestlings, and 

 risking their lives, if need be, to guard them from harm. 



I remember the delight of a class of Miss Porter's girls at 

 Farmington over the discovery of a Kingfisher's nest in the river 

 bank, and their enthusiasm over the pretty Redstart who would sit 

 calmly in her nest over our heads as we looked up admiringly at 

 her. And I also remember the satisfaction of a class of Hull House 

 girls in their summer vacation home, over the old stub where the 

 Red-headed Woodpeckers were feeding their young. While study- 

 ing nests, a good way to rouse interest in individual work is to get 

 the students to take photographs of the birds on their nests, for 

 a great deal must necessarily be learned of 'bird ways,' before any 

 good photographic results can be obtained. 



Bird Study at Wood's Holl Marine Biological Laboratory 



npHE Nature-Study course to be inaugurated during the coming 

 "*■ summer at Wood's Holl includes a course on birds under the 

 direction of Dr. Thomas H. Montgomery, Jr., assisted by Drs. Whit- 

 man and Herrick and Messrs. Stone, Dearborn and Chapman. It will 

 include field and laboratory work and lectures. In field work partic- 

 ular attention will be given to the habits of birds, their songs, modes 

 of flight, etc., and each student will be required to keep a journal of 

 observations. 



