Mounted Birds in Illustration 



29 



utterly surpass photography, though not on its own lines, by virtue of the 

 divine element of intuitive choice and elimination,- — -a thing denied to 

 photography. 



But, as the case stands, photography's exquisite revelations go far 

 beyond all art productions in the same field. 



MoNADNocK, N. H., Nov. 15, 1902. Abbott H. Thayer. 



What Bird is This ? 



Field Description. — Length, 8 inches. Above dark brownish, the head streaked, the back spotted with 

 white; below white, streaked with reddish brown; feet feathered; eyes yellow. 



Note. — Each number of Bird-Lore will contain a photograph, from specimens in 

 the American Museum of Natural History, of some comparatively little-known bird, or 

 bird in obscure plumage, the name of which will be withheld until the succeeding 

 number of the magazine ; it being believed that this method of arousing the student's 

 curiosity will result in impressing the bird's characters upon his mind far more strongly 

 than if its name were given with the picture. 



The species figured in December is a female or young male Purple Finch. 



