COLLECTING. 
27 
Although the foregoing list gives the locality in 
which a given species may be found, as a rule, it 
is always well to bear in mind that birds have 
wings, and by the use of them may stray into 
unaccustomed localities far distant from their 
usual habitance. For example, a burrowing owl 
was shot on the marshes of Newburyport, and a 
petrel, which has hitherto been known to science 
through a single specimen which was taken many 
years ago in the southern hemisphere, was picked 
up, in an exhausted condition, in a ploughed field 
of the interior of New York. The young collector 
then should ever be on the alert, keeping well in 
mind the fact that the art which he is pursuing 
is not lightly learned. I have frequently heard 
the inexperienced remark that he could easily kill 
a hundred birds in a day ; and although this might 
be true on certain occasions, — for I have seen over 
this number killed by one person in two dis- 
charges of a gun, — yet, as a rule, a good collector 
will seldom bring in over fifty birds during his 
best days. A man must not only be experienced, 
but will be obliged to work hard in order to 
average twenty-five birds in a day. Although 
there are some “ born ” collectors who will 
procure birds, even if they be provided with no 
