Introductory 



Every one agrees that the study of birds should be fostered 

 and developed. The first thing is to teach people to see, and 

 very few of those who have not gone into the matter sympa- 

 thetically realise how little of the visible world of nature they do 

 see. In particular are there recompenses for the patient observer 

 who devotes hiri/self to the beauties of bird-li.e. There are but 

 few, especially among boys, who are really capable of doing sys- 

 tematic collecting of eggs, and unless formed with the utmost 

 care and system, a collection is of not the slightest value. On 

 the other hand, every one can be taught to see, to study the 

 birds in connection with their nests, eggs, and young. 



Birds have so many natural enemies that our first impulse 

 should be to protect them. It is a dark reflection on man that, 

 with all his much-vaunted intelligence, he should do more toward 

 the destruction of birds than all other causes combined. And he 

 certainly is one of their most relentless foes. 



If laws were made, for instance, forbidding the sale of bird- 

 skins for millinery purposes, what a boon it would be to our 

 feathered friends 1 Much has been written and published on the 

 subject by that most excellent institution, the Audubon Society ; 

 but what little effect has it produced. Laws have been passed, 

 though rather late in the day, prohibiting the killing of egrets in 

 the South and of many varieties of the smaller birds in special 

 States ; but these laws are to a great extent disregarded, and there 

 are no adequate means for their enforcement. The destruction 

 of birds' nests is forbidden ; yet there are endless "collections" 

 made every season. How many boys — and men too — are there 

 in every village who take every year large numbers of eggs 

 which serve no purpose 1 Their only idea is to get " a lot of 

 them, " which are gathered together without notes or observation, 

 or even identification. All sparrow-like nests found on the 

 ground are said to belong to the "ground sparrow" or "grass 

 sparrow," or some such ambiguous bird. When the nest is found 

 and the eggs are taken the entire aim of this "collector" seems 

 to be satisfied ; the idea of making notes never even enters his 

 head. If asked where some particular egg was taken, he replies 

 vaguely : " I don't remember exactly, but I think it was in such 

 a place, or perhaps some fellow gave it to me." 



Thus it is that eggs are destroyed and with them the means 

 of studying the birds during the most interesting period of their 



4 



