HOW TO STUDY THE GAME BIRDS 377 



to decorate a room or they may be put in a portfolio together with 

 the accounts written according to the outline given below and 

 which would prove a valuable asset to any pupil or teacher. The 

 Bird Book published by the Geographic Magazine at Washington, 

 D. C, or the Bird Plates published by the State Museum at Albany 

 N. Y., will give the colors to be copied by the pupils. The Reed 

 Bird Guides also have colored pictures of these birds. 



An Outline for the Study of Game Birds 



The answers to the following questions should be ascertained as 

 far as practicable, and the facts thus gathered should be arranged 

 and written up to make a coherent account or story of the habits 

 and peculiarities of the bird. • 



i . Does this bird occur in your State ? 



2. If so, is it a permanent, a winter or summer or a transient 

 resident ? 



3. If it occurs as a migrant, at what season is it seen? 



4. Is it usually seen in company with other birds, or alone? 



5. Consult the bird manuals and tell all that you can find 

 concerning its winter habits ; if it migrates, what are the limits of 

 its journeys north and south? 



6. Where and at what time of year does it nest? Describe its 

 nest, eggs, and its care of its young. 



7 . What colors, markings or peculiarities of flight distinguish it 

 when on the wing? 



8. How can you identify it when at rest? 



9. Upon what does it feed and where does it find its food? 



10. Is it of economic importance, if so, how and why? 



11. What are its natural enemies? 



12. What are the game laws in your State for protecting this 

 bird? Should it be more strictly protected, if so, why? 



In this scheme of study the game laws play a very important 

 part. Copies of the game laws of any state may be obtained free of 

 charge by writing to the State Game Warden at the capitol. The 

 game laws of the United States for 1920 have been published as 

 Farmers Bulletin No. 1138, The United States Department of 

 Agriculture, Washington, D. C, and may be obtained free of charge. 

 Both of these should be in the library of every school. 



To illustrate the kind of story about a bird based upon the above 

 outline is the following account of the Canada Goose. 



