54 



THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



I have often looked forward to the time 

 when some one should cull from America's 

 poets all that has been said of the Robin, 

 the Lark, the Whippoorwill. the Hawk, 

 and the less elegant Eagle, and put 

 it into a volume which we Naturalists 

 could admire and praise. 'Twould deserve 

 a superb binding in accordance with its 

 subject. 



The sciences are steadily gaining in 

 popularity and it will be but a few years 

 until Ornithology will be taught in our 

 public schools,and the city boy will favor- 

 ably compare with his rural cousin in his 

 knowledge of our birds. God speed the 

 time when such a noble study will occupy 

 the attention of our Educators and Au- 

 dubon be taken as a text book in each 

 public school in our land. Our birds ! the 

 theme of songs and the subject of stories. 

 From the Carrier Dove which bore the 

 important dispatches in our late war to 

 "Old Abe" to the pet eagle of the Wiscon- 

 sin boys in blue who perched on the starry 

 banner when on the march, a,nd screamed 

 from the clouds above during the fury of 

 the fierce battle. 



No Sir! the history of the war will never 

 be complete until "Old Abe" is given a 

 prominent place in the galaxy of heroes. 

 In pease as in war "our birds" America's 

 birds are the pride and blessings of every 

 true American. From ocean to ocean, 

 from pole to pole, o'er mountains and 

 valleysjlakes and rivers, forest's and plains 

 deserts and oasis, we find them in their 

 beauty, melody, grace and grandeur, ever 

 loved by the child of Nature,and theland 

 mark of our vast domains. How many 

 are there in this world who appreciate 

 "our birds?" Compai-itively few. Yet 

 should these same persons emigrate to a 

 land wholly devoid of our feathered 

 friends, they would pronounce it a disa- 

 greeable place to live. Should they miss 



the Oriole, the Blue bird, or the Wren, or 

 should the Robin, the Black bird or the 

 Crow be lacking, they'd return to their 

 "ane countrie." In our reccollection of 

 childhood we find the birds have a strong 

 claim on our hearts as the friends of our 

 youth. As a closing sentence let me say 

 that 'tis but a matter of time until all of 

 God's blessings will be appreciated, and 

 among these may be classed the sciences 

 alongside of Botany, Entomology, Zool- 

 ogy, Oology and Minerology will be found 

 Ornithology in the front rank and none 

 will be more highly appreciated or as 

 dearly loved as "Our birds." 



Kensington, Md. 

 Mr. C. H. Prince:— Dear Sir. 



What I send herewith, is the first of a 

 series of articles on my collecting experi- 

 ences, in different localities, during the 

 preparation of some 12 years, for the 

 publishing of my book. 



"Our Birds in their Haunts." 



It will give your readers some idea 

 where to look for certain birds, and may 

 prove readable matter. I shall try to 

 send you a MS. each month. Your period- 

 ical is interesting and promising; and, if 

 you keep to the title, will have a field of 

 its own among bird students. I shall do 

 what I can to help you. I hopeyour sub- 

 scription list is encouraging. After afew 

 weeks of present pressing business, I shall 

 try to help your subscription list a little. 

 Yours truly, 



J. H. Langille. 



Localities for the Collector. 



As the study of localities is a most im- 

 portant work to the collector, I have 

 thought it well tfodescribe my experiences, 

 in some of the most interesting places, 

 visited during my many years of study 

 in the preparation of my book. And in 

 passing let me say, the working up of 



