12 THE MAKING OF BIRDCEAFT SANCTUARY 



Three Years After — 1918 



SOME NOTES ON BIEDCRAFT SANCTUARY 

 By MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT 



At the public opening of Birdcraft Sanctuary, over three 

 years ago, enthusiasm there was and much praise for all the de- 

 tails of construction, but certain ultra-practical folk put the 

 question, "Exactly what do you expect to accomplish in these 

 ten acres that may not be compassed in any similar piece of 

 ground, without so much preparation and expense!" Also, 

 "Will not the nearbj" public in a short time tire of the limited 

 museum exhibit and cease to come I" 



To both these queries the answer was "We shall see; time 

 only can prove." 



It did not take us long to find that the general public can 

 best be taught to name the birds accurately from seeing them 

 at close range in the museum, for it requires a special aptitude 

 to group markings and color scheme as shown in a flitting ^^^ld 

 bird, even when seen through a field-glass. 



But when half a dozen birds are studied at short range 

 through the picture groups in the cases, the novice has a series 

 for mental comparison out-of-doors. 



Straightway we added a second unit to the museum, to 

 carrj" out in greater detail the seasonal scheme of the first room. 



In the second unit there are three large groups: (1) Gulls, 

 Ducks and other Shore-birds of the New England coast. (2) A 

 wood scene, with perspective glimpses of hills and meadows, 

 against which are grouped many birds of prey and the chief 

 mammals of Connecticut, shown because of the relation of some 

 to the destruction of game-birds, (i. e. a gray fox is shown 

 stalking some Quail while the fox cub in its den is nosing the 

 remains of a Ruffed Grouse, etc.) (3) A picture of the Sanc- 

 tuary itself is used to show all the birds that have either nested 

 therein, rested there during the migration, or been its winter 

 guests. The value of this group is to show students the scope 

 of bird-life that may be found in the neighliorhood, as the 

 records kept by the warden place the display upon a scientific 

 basis and eliminate anything like guess-work. This .3rd picture 



