SEC. Ill SUGGESTIONS AND DIRECTIONS FOR FIELD- WORK 19 



don't you remember what a fine spurt you made early that morning ? 

 — how many unexpected shots offered as you trudged home belated 

 that evening % Now I am no fowl, and have no desire to adopt 

 the habits of the hen-yard ; I have my opinion of those who like 

 the world before it is aired ; I think it served the worm right for 

 getting up, when caught by the early bird ; nevertheless I go shoot- 

 ing betimes in the morning, and would walk all night to find a rare 

 bird at daylight, (c) Wiather. It rarely occurs in this country 

 that either heat or cold is unendurably severe ; but extremes of 

 temperature are unfavourable, for two reasons : they both occasion 

 great personal discomfort ; and in one extreme only a few hardy- 

 birds will be found, while in the other most birds are languid, dis- 

 posed to seek shelter, and therefore less likely to be found. A 

 \ still, cloudy day of moderate temperature offers as a rule the best 

 chance ; among other reasons, there is no sun to blind the eyes, as 

 always occurs on a bright day in one direction, particularly when 

 the sun is low. While a bright day has its good influence in set- 

 ting many birds astir, some others are most easily approached in 

 heavy or falling weather. Some kinds are more likely to be secured 

 during a light snowfall, or after a storm. Singular as it may seem, 

 a thoroughly wet day offers some peculiar inducements to the col- 

 lector. I cannot well specify them, but I heartily indorse a remark 

 John Cassin once made to me : "I like," said he, " to go shooting 

 in the rain sometimes ; there are some curious things to be learned 

 about birds when the trees are dripping ; things, too, that have not 

 yet found their way into the books." 



How many Birds of the Same Kind do you want? — 

 All you can get — ^with some reasonable limitations ; say fifty or a 

 hundred of any but the most abundant and widely diffused species. 

 You may often be provoked with your friend for speaking of some 

 bird he shot, but did not bring you, because, he says, " Why, you've 

 got one like that ! " Birdskins are capital ; capital unemployed 

 may be useless, but can never be worthless. Birdskins are a medium 

 of exchange among ornithologists the world over ; they represent 

 value— money value and scientific value. If you have more of one 

 kind than you can use, exchange with some one for species you 

 lack ; both parties to the transaction are equally benefited. Let 

 me bring this matter under several heads, (a) Your own series 

 of skins of any species is incomplete until it contains at least one 

 example of each sex, of every normal state of plumage, and every 

 normal transition stage of plumage, and further illustrates the 

 principal abnormal variations in size, form, and colour to which 

 the species may be subject ; I will even add that every different 

 faunal area the bird is known to inhabit should be represented by 

 a specimen, particularly if there be anything exceptional in the 



