126 The Wilson Bulletin. 



from as many different standpoints as possible for the 

 education and encouragement of the questioner. This 'All 

 Day with the Birds' habit grew out of the effort to give a 

 fair answer to this question. 



In northern Ohio (perhaps I should say in Lorain county) 

 in winter an hour's tramp through fields and woods should 

 result in a record of about a dozen species. As the season 

 advances and the birds return, this number would be in- 

 crease until by the last week in March one should find 

 more than twice that number, under favorable conditions 

 40 species. When the migrations are at their height in 

 early May, the probabilities are increased to 80 or even 

 more, for a few hours in the fields and woods. This is a 

 record for the average bird student with average facilities 

 and a few hours at most at his disposal. Taking, now, the 

 more than average in all respects, what may be accomplish- 

 ed? In other words, what are the actual conditions of the 

 bird world in a given locality during the height of the 

 spring migrations on any given day? The question as to 

 what the average person may be able to record under 

 average conditions involves little more than the commoner 

 species, or those which are more readily seen, leaving al- 

 most wholly out of the account many species which are 

 either few in numbers or more difficult to find on account 

 of fewer numbers or secretive habits. The more careful 

 study sets over against the apparent conditions the actual 

 conditions. 



The participants in this "All Day" were Rev. W. L. 

 Dawson, who came up from his Columbus home for this 

 special purpose, Mr. Benj. T. Gault, who, as good fortune 

 would have it, was able to stop over during that day on his 

 way from the East, and the writer. We worked together, 

 and as the sequel proved, three pairs of eyes are better than 

 two, for probably several species would have been over- 

 looked with any one of the three not there. There is no 

 doubt in my own mind that a larger list could be secured 

 if three persons should work independently, each being as- 



