80 THE OREGON SPORTSMAN 



nesting within the selected area. Birds that visit the area for 

 feeding purposes should not be counted, no matter how close 

 their nests are to the boundary lines. 



It is practically impossible to take this census on the scale 

 of 40 to 80 acres in a single day. A plan which has been used 

 with advantage for several years is to begin at daylight some 

 morning the last of May or the first week in June and zigzag 

 back and forth across the area, counting the male birds. Early 

 in the morning at that season every male bird should be in full 

 song and easily counted. After the migration and the birds are 

 settled in their summer quarters each male can safely be taken to 

 represent a breeding pair. 



The census of one day should be checked and revised by sev- 

 eral days of further work, in order to insure that each bird seen 

 is actually nesting within the area and make certain that no 

 species has been overlooked. 



The height of the breeding season should be chosen for this 

 work. In the latitude of Washington — latitude 39° — May 30 is 

 about the proper date for the original census. In the latitude of 

 Boston the work should not begin for a week later, while south of 

 Washington an earlier date should be selected. 



The final results of the census should be sent to this bureau 

 about June 30 and should be accompanied by a statement of the 

 exact boundaries of the selected area, defined so explicitly that 

 it will be possible 25 years hence to have the census repeated. The 

 name of the present owner of the land should be given, together 

 with a careful description of its character, including a statement 

 whether the area is dry upland or moist bottom land, the number 

 of acres in each of the principal crops, or in permanent meadow, 

 pasture, orchard, swamp, roads, etc., the kind of fencing used, 

 and whether there is much or little brush along any fences, roads, 

 or streams, or in the permanent pasture. 



If there is an isolated piece of woodland conveniently near 

 and comprising 10 to 20 acres we should like to have a separate 

 census made of the birds nesting therein. In which case the 

 report, in addition to the size and exact boundaries of the wooded 

 tract, should state the principal kinds of trees and whether there 

 is much or little undergrowth. 



