22 NOTE-BOOKS AND JOURNALS. 



After filling In the preliminary data I write after the name of each 

 bird either the exact or approximate number of individuals seen, or else 

 the letters " A.," " C," or " T. C," meaning abundant, common, or tol- 

 erably common. This is accompanied by an " s " if the bird is in song, 

 or " calls " if it is simply heard calling. The possibilities of abbrevia- 

 tion are unlimited, but use no abbreviation which is not fully explained. 



If you wish to make a record of some length concerning a certain 

 species, place a cross or asterisk in its square. This refers to your 

 journal of the same date. 



Read from left to right, the roll-book gives in a graphic, condensed 

 form the standing of a species during the period of observation. Read 

 from the top to the bottom of the page, it gives in an easily comparable 

 way the complete record of each day, and at the same time it becomes 

 an index to the bird-notes in your journal. 



To prevent needlessly multiplying your roll-books the series of 

 birds' names should be made to last at least during an entire season. 

 To this end do not completely fill the right-hand page, but when you 

 have used all of it but a space equal in width to the space occupied 

 by the column of birds' names, cut this part of the page — the ex- 

 treme right — off ; the part remaining will, when turned over to the 

 left, just meet the column of names, and the lines of this column and 

 the new page will thus run continuously. As before remarked, the 

 roll-book should be attended to immediately on returning from the 

 field, while your impressions are fresh. The journal may wait, when 

 a reference to the roll-book will aid in recalling the day's experiences. 

 In addition to these two books, both of which should be quarto size, 

 you need a small, leather-covered, pocket note-book for use in jotting 

 memoranda in the field. 



