2 INTRODUCTION. 



nest, since other birds may be about it, and may even make 

 complaints from sympathy, or because their own nests are 

 near by.^ Should she fly too soon, I either return after a 

 few moments' absence or concealment (as I often do in prefer- 

 ence to doing mischief by keeping her too long from her nest), 

 or I follow her with my eye, endeavoring not to lose sight of 

 her nor to confuse her with any other species, and note, so far 

 as possible, all her markings, which, until I became an expert, 

 I always noted down on the spot, to compare with f uU descrip- 

 tions at home. Practice enables one to recognize many birds, 

 particidarly the larger ones, at a glance, and to note readily 

 the most characteristic markings ; but there is no objection to 

 shooting Hawks, which are less easily identified otherwise than 

 smaller species. There are some persons who are too inaccu- 

 rate to foUow this method, and with such, or with those per- 

 sonally unknown to you, it is well never to exchange. Males 

 are generally more easily identified than females, and fre- 

 quently sit upon their nests, though most often appearing 

 when their mates are disturbed. Confusion may easily arise 

 from two varieties of one species, but both forms rarely occur 

 in the same district, and, according to a strict definition of the 

 word ' variety,' can never normally do so. The only varie- 

 ties (not belonging to original types) which occur in New 

 England among land-birds are the Gray-cheeked Thrush, the 

 Bronzed Blackbird,^ and the Eed-naped Woodpecker, of which 

 the first-named has been sometimes ranked as a species, and 

 at least has not been known to breed in the eastern United 

 States.8 * 



" Bird-collecting, on the other hand, unavoidably leads to 



1 It may be added that Cow-birds marum hypochrysea), the Nelson's and 

 always lay their eggs in the nests of Acadian Sharp-tailed Sparrows (Sm- 

 other birds. See § 17, m. modromm caadacutas ndsoni and A. c. 



2 " This bird is thought to build in subvirgatus), the Bicknell'a Thrush 

 holes, while the Crow Blackbird does (Twdus cdicice bicknelli), and the Cana- 

 ""*•" dian Buffed Gtrouse (JBonasa umbellus 



' See, farther, § 18, I, D, and E, for togata), have been since added. The 



the Tery slight distinction between the Gray-cheeted Thrush is now consid- 



Warbling and PhUadelphia Vireos. ered a good species, and the Red-naped 



* ScTeral subspecies, such as the 'Vroodpecker has been eliminated from 



Yellow Palm Warbler (Dendroica pal- the New England list. W. B. 



