﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  6 
  1 
  

  

  proficienc}^ 
  of 
  the 
  observer 
  in 
  recognizing 
  birds 
  at 
  a 
  glance, 
  and 
  his 
  knowl- 
  

   edge 
  of 
  their 
  proper 
  haunts 
  and 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  their 
  appearance, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  his 
  

   energy 
  in 
  the 
  search 
  and 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  time 
  at 
  his 
  disposal. 
  After 
  carefull}^ 
  

   reviewing 
  the 
  list 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  birds, 
  I 
  am 
  convinced 
  that 
  any 
  one 
  well 
  

   acquainted 
  with 
  the 
  different 
  species, 
  who 
  is 
  willing 
  to 
  devote 
  one 
  day 
  

   each 
  week 
  to 
  field 
  work, 
  through 
  the 
  year, 
  and 
  four 
  half 
  days 
  each 
  week 
  in 
  

   April 
  and 
  May, 
  can 
  surely 
  see 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  114 
  species 
  of 
  land 
  birds 
  and 
  about 
  

   50 
  water 
  birds, 
  with 
  a 
  possible 
  additional 
  list 
  of 
  40 
  or 
  50 
  land 
  birds 
  and 
  15 
  

   or 
  20 
  water 
  birds. 
  This 
  assumes 
  of 
  course 
  that 
  he 
  is 
  so 
  situated 
  that 
  he 
  can 
  

   visit 
  the 
  proper 
  haunts 
  of 
  the 
  water 
  birds 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  the 
  forest-loving 
  species 
  

  

  The 
  largest 
  daily 
  lists 
  are 
  made 
  along 
  the 
  slopes 
  of 
  river 
  valleys, 
  and 
  

   near 
  the 
  coast 
  or 
  the 
  lake 
  shores 
  where 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  convergence 
  of 
  migration 
  

   routes. 
  

  

  An 
  excellent 
  way 
  of 
  recording 
  the 
  migrations, 
  or 
  of 
  taking 
  a 
  bird 
  census, 
  

   is 
  to 
  form 
  an 
  association 
  of 
  workers 
  who 
  can 
  divide 
  the 
  country 
  between 
  

   them 
  each 
  day, 
  and 
  meet 
  at 
  intervals 
  to 
  compare 
  and 
  record 
  their 
  observa- 
  

   tions. 
  This 
  method 
  has 
  been 
  employed 
  with 
  success 
  by 
  the 
  Bird 
  Section 
  

   of 
  the 
  Rochester 
  Academy 
  of 
  Science 
  in 
  studying 
  the 
  spring 
  migrations 
  of 
  

   1902 
  to 
  1907, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  Department 
  of 
  Vertebrate 
  Zoology 
  of 
  Cornell 
  

   University 
  in 
  1905 
  and 
  1906. 
  The 
  result 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  assembling 
  of 
  excep- 
  

   tionally 
  full 
  and 
  accurate 
  migration 
  dates 
  for 
  those 
  stations 
  [see 
  Monroe 
  

   county 
  and 
  Tompkins 
  county, 
  tables 
  of 
  migration]. 
  Of 
  great 
  value, 
  also, 
  

   are 
  the 
  data 
  of 
  individual 
  observers, 
  who 
  have 
  recorded 
  the 
  migrations 
  at 
  

   the 
  same 
  station 
  through 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  years, 
  as 
  has 
  been 
  done 
  by 
  Dr 
  Merriam 
  

   at 
  Locust 
  Grove, 
  Dr 
  Fisher 
  at 
  Ossining, 
  and 
  Dr 
  Mearns 
  at 
  Highland 
  

   Falls. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  possible 
  for 
  a 
  single 
  observer 
  to 
  record 
  as 
  many 
  as 
  100, 
  or 
  even 
  

   130 
  different 
  species 
  of 
  birds 
  in 
  one 
  day, 
  provided 
  his 
  energy 
  is 
  unlimited, 
  

   and 
  he 
  has 
  made 
  a 
  careful 
  preliminary 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  ground, 
  and 
  there 
  is 
  

   means 
  of 
  I'apid 
  conveyance 
  between 
  forest 
  and 
  copse, 
  meadow 
  and 
  stream, 
  

   swamp 
  and 
  lake. 
  But 
  to 
  do 
  this, 
  one 
  must 
  be 
  familiar 
  with 
  their 
  haunts 
  

   and 
  know 
  all 
  the 
  birds 
  so 
  well 
  that 
  they 
  can 
  be 
  recognized 
  at 
  long 
  distance, 
  

  

  