﻿New 
  York 
  State 
  Education 
  Department 
  

  

  New 
  York 
  State 
  Museum 
  

  

  John 
  M. 
  Clarke, 
  Director 
  

  

  Memoir 
  12 
  

   BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  

  

  BY 
  

   ELON 
  HOWARD 
  EATON 
  

  

  ' 
  PART 
  I 
  

  

  PREFACE 
  

  

  During 
  the 
  past 
  half 
  century 
  there 
  has 
  been 
  a 
  remarkable 
  advance 
  in 
  

   all 
  departments 
  of 
  ornithology. 
  Detailed 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  structure, 
  classifi- 
  

   cation, 
  migration 
  and 
  distribution 
  of 
  birds 
  has 
  virtually 
  revolutionized 
  

   the 
  science. 
  The 
  popular 
  awakening 
  of 
  interest 
  in 
  nature 
  study 
  and 
  the 
  

   increased 
  appreciation 
  of 
  the 
  out-of-doors 
  among 
  all 
  classes 
  of 
  society, 
  

   has 
  largely 
  centered 
  in 
  bird 
  study 
  as 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  delightful 
  and 
  fasci- 
  

   nating 
  recreations. 
  The 
  vast 
  army 
  of 
  American 
  sportsmen 
  is 
  becoming 
  

   aroused 
  to 
  the 
  necessity 
  of 
  protecting 
  our 
  game 
  and 
  wild 
  birds 
  more 
  effi- 
  

   ciently, 
  lest 
  they 
  all 
  go 
  the 
  way 
  of 
  the 
  Heath 
  hen 
  and 
  Wild 
  pigeon. 
  The 
  

   Audubon 
  societies 
  are 
  making 
  an 
  heroic 
  defense 
  of 
  our 
  song 
  birds 
  and 
  

   vanishing 
  sea 
  fowl. 
  National 
  and 
  state 
  governments 
  and 
  individual 
  bio- 
  

   logical 
  researches 
  have 
  proved 
  the 
  inestimable 
  value 
  of 
  birds 
  to 
  agriculture. 
  

   Many 
  American 
  states 
  have 
  established 
  special 
  commissions 
  for 
  the 
  study 
  

   of 
  economic 
  ornithology 
  and 
  have 
  published 
  extensive 
  reports 
  on 
  native 
  

   birds 
  and 
  their 
  value 
  to 
  the 
  commonwealth. 
  

  

  