﻿6o 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  Rochester, 
  N. 
  Y., 
  May 
  i8. 
  Three 
  J" 
  and 
  two 
  9 
  seen 
  on 
  Cobb's 
  hill 
  

   before 
  breakfast. 
  

  

  Rochester, 
  N. 
  Y., 
  May 
  24. 
  9 
  feeding 
  in 
  the 
  white 
  oaks 
  on 
  the 
  Pinnacle, 
  

   do. 
  May 
  30. 
  Two 
  9 
  on 
  Cobb's 
  hill 
  in 
  the 
  chestnuts 
  and 
  

  

  white 
  oaks. 
  

  

  Forest 
  Lawn, 
  N. 
  Y., 
  May 
  30. 
  9 
  feeding 
  in 
  the 
  maples 
  back 
  of 
  Mr 
  

   Perkins's 
  cottage. 
  

  

  Several 
  other 
  specimens, 
  or 
  the 
  same 
  ones 
  above 
  mentioned, 
  were 
  

   reported 
  from 
  Rochester 
  as 
  seen 
  by 
  different 
  friends. 
  This 
  year 
  has 
  been 
  

   unprecedented 
  for 
  the 
  numbers 
  of 
  this 
  species 
  in 
  this 
  vicinity. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  absolutely 
  essential 
  that 
  some 
  record 
  of 
  observations 
  be 
  kept. 
  

   Migration 
  dates, 
  the 
  relative 
  abundance 
  of 
  different 
  species, 
  mating, 
  nest 
  

   building, 
  first 
  eggs 
  seen, 
  period 
  of 
  incubation, 
  length 
  of 
  time 
  young 
  remain 
  

   in 
  nest, 
  kind 
  and 
  amount 
  of 
  food 
  brought 
  to 
  young, 
  destruction 
  of 
  nests, 
  

   special 
  enemies, 
  second 
  broods, 
  beginning 
  and 
  end 
  of 
  song 
  period, 
  time 
  of 
  

   day 
  the 
  song 
  is 
  heard, 
  description 
  of 
  song 
  and 
  call 
  notes, 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  

   valuable 
  bits 
  of 
  life 
  history 
  would 
  thus 
  be 
  gathered 
  into 
  such 
  an 
  adjustable 
  

   notebook 
  and 
  in 
  such 
  order 
  as 
  to 
  be 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  satisfaction 
  to 
  the 
  

   owner 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  any 
  ornithologist 
  seeking 
  information 
  on 
  the 
  birds 
  of 
  

   the 
  locality. 
  

  

  The 
  need 
  of 
  such 
  records 
  on 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  birds 
  of 
  each 
  species 
  which 
  

   mav 
  be 
  seen 
  in 
  a 
  given 
  locality 
  is 
  well 
  illustrated 
  by 
  the 
  answers 
  given 
  by 
  

   12 
  bird 
  enthusiasts 
  in 
  Monroe 
  county 
  when 
  asked 
  to 
  mark 
  50 
  of 
  our 
  com- 
  

   monest 
  land 
  birds 
  as 
  to 
  their 
  relative 
  abundance, 
  on 
  a 
  basis 
  of 
  counting 
  

   the 
  English 
  sparrow 
  10. 
  Estimates 
  of 
  the 
  Bluebird's 
  abundance 
  varied 
  

   from 
  1-9. 
  Of 
  the 
  Chickadee 
  from 
  ^6, 
  of 
  the 
  Crow 
  from 
  2-10, 
  Phoebe 
  

   from 
  1-7, 
  Chimney 
  swift, 
  1^-8, 
  Flicker, 
  ^-7, 
  Barn 
  swallow, 
  -^8, 
  Least 
  

   flycatcher, 
  =-6, 
  Song 
  sparrow, 
  5-10, 
  while 
  the 
  estimates 
  on 
  the 
  other 
  40 
  

   show 
  equal 
  discrepancies. 
  This 
  shows 
  that 
  general 
  impressions 
  are 
  of 
  

   little 
  value 
  from 
  the 
  standpoint 
  of 
  exact 
  science, 
  and 
  that 
  records 
  of 
  w^ell 
  

   determined 
  facts 
  form 
  the 
  only 
  safe 
  basis 
  of 
  judgment. 
  

  

  Many 
  bird 
  lovers 
  wish 
  to 
  know 
  how 
  many 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  it 
  is 
  possible 
  

   to 
  see 
  in 
  one 
  day, 
  or 
  in 
  an 
  entire 
  season. 
  This 
  depends 
  of 
  course 
  on 
  the 
  

  

  