﻿58 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  book 
  is 
  not 
  of 
  so 
  much 
  imiDortance 
  as 
  the 
  attitude 
  of 
  the 
  student. 
  The 
  

   author 
  learned 
  more 
  from 
  an 
  old 
  thumb 
  worn, 
  imperfect 
  copy 
  of 
  "Ornith- 
  

   ology," 
  evidenth' 
  compiled 
  from 
  the 
  works 
  of 
  early 
  wTiters, 
  principally 
  

   Wilson, 
  than 
  he 
  has 
  from 
  any 
  exhaustive 
  treatises 
  of 
  recent 
  publication. 
  

   He 
  knew 
  the 
  colored 
  plates 
  of 
  DeKay's 
  Birds 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  so 
  w^ell 
  that 
  the 
  

   species 
  therein 
  depicted 
  were 
  recognized 
  at 
  the 
  first 
  meeting 
  in 
  the 
  field. 
  

   Many 
  beginners, 
  however, 
  will 
  find 
  it 
  convenient 
  to 
  carry 
  a 
  pocket 
  handbook 
  

   for 
  reference 
  on 
  their 
  field 
  excursions. 
  In 
  preparing 
  the 
  present 
  volume 
  

   we 
  have 
  avoided 
  exhaustive 
  synopses 
  and 
  keys, 
  having 
  found 
  by 
  experience 
  

   that 
  most 
  students 
  pay 
  little 
  attention 
  to 
  them. 
  We 
  would 
  direct 
  all 
  

   students 
  in 
  using 
  this 
  volume 
  to 
  study 
  carefully 
  the 
  plates 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  

   arranged 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  possible 
  to 
  give 
  a 
  clear 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  relative 
  size 
  and 
  char- 
  

   acteristics 
  of 
  related 
  Sj^ecies. 
  These, 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  the 
  descriptive 
  

   text, 
  should 
  give 
  a 
  clear 
  idea 
  of 
  the 
  different 
  orders, 
  families 
  and 
  species 
  of 
  

   our 
  avifauna. 
  We 
  believe 
  that 
  all 
  beginners 
  should 
  learn 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  possible 
  

   to 
  recognize 
  the 
  relationship 
  of 
  the 
  birds 
  which 
  they 
  wish 
  to 
  identify, 
  

   rather 
  than 
  to 
  rely 
  entirely 
  on 
  size 
  and 
  color, 
  as 
  is 
  too 
  often 
  the 
  case; 
  that 
  

   is, 
  when 
  wishing 
  to 
  identify 
  a 
  duck, 
  one 
  can 
  determine 
  the 
  species 
  more 
  

   quickly 
  by 
  glancing 
  at 
  plates 
  of 
  ducks, 
  than 
  by 
  running 
  through 
  a 
  lengthy 
  

   key; 
  and 
  to 
  identify 
  successfully 
  a 
  small 
  bird 
  it 
  is 
  of 
  far 
  greater 
  importance 
  

   to 
  note 
  from 
  its 
  general 
  structure 
  and 
  personality 
  whether 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  sparrow^ 
  

   or 
  a 
  warbler, 
  as 
  the 
  case 
  may 
  be, 
  than 
  to 
  fix 
  the 
  attention 
  too 
  exclusively 
  

   on 
  its 
  colors. 
  All 
  students 
  should 
  become 
  familiar 
  with 
  the 
  characters 
  of 
  

   orders 
  and 
  families 
  as 
  soon 
  as 
  possible. 
  In 
  the 
  descriptions, 
  the 
  beginner 
  

   is 
  directed 
  particularly 
  to 
  certain 
  parts 
  which 
  are 
  printed 
  in 
  italics 
  to 
  give 
  

   definite 
  "earmarks" 
  for 
  identification. 
  

  

  Every 
  bird 
  student 
  should 
  keep 
  a 
  notebook, 
  or 
  better, 
  two 
  notebooks, 
  

   one 
  for 
  use 
  in 
  the 
  field, 
  and 
  one 
  a 
  journal 
  with 
  removable 
  leaves, 
  or 
  a 
  card 
  

   system, 
  in 
  which 
  a 
  record 
  of 
  each 
  species 
  is 
  kept 
  in 
  chronological 
  order, 
  and 
  

   each 
  species 
  in 
  its 
  proper 
  order 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  prevalent 
  classification. 
  

   Thus 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  possible 
  to 
  turn 
  at 
  once 
  to 
  any 
  migration 
  or 
  breeding 
  date, 
  

   or 
  observations 
  on 
  the 
  life 
  history 
  of 
  any 
  species 
  in 
  any 
  given 
  year. 
  The 
  

  

  