Birds of The Palisades Interstate Park 
21 
The note book habit is essential to progress in bird study, as it is 
in other lines of study. Annotations of the songs of the birds, 
their call-notes, their colors, their feeding habits, their preferences 
in vegetational associations, — these are necessary to the attainment 
of an intimate and satisfactory knowledge of even the very common 
species. It may seem strange when I suggest that the knowledge of 
the name of the bird is not necessary in these introductory observa- 
tions, yet it can be readily seen that these annotations may lead to 
the discovery of the bird’s name in due time, upon reference to 
authorities ; then the annotations can be grouped under the desired 
heading as fundamental knowledge of the bird under consideration. 
When nests are found, the note book should be used for comments 
regarding the nesting site, the general character of the surround- 
ings, the particular location of the nest, the actions of the owners 
near their home, etc. In the examination of any nest found, the 
bird student should avoid pulling doAvn the branches or surround- 
ing vegetation in a way to endanger it or its contents, or the 
protecting foliage. While the nest is in use by the owners, all study 
of it and of the parents should be made with due consideration of 
the results of disturbing the wildwood home. By no means reach 
up and feel into the nest, if its location is above your reach of 
vision ; but if possible climb up into a tree at one side, or use other 
careful ways, of examining the contents of the nest. Then make 
full and satisfactory notes of what you see and hear, for these notes 
may serve, in case the birds are strangers to you, in determining the 
name of the owners of the nest when you refer to your authorities. 
Regarding references to the birds of the Palisades Interstate 
Park region, I may say that it is not within the purpose of this 
handbook to include the usual list of references or a bibliography, 
since this is reserved for a fuller report of my observations. Begin- 
ners in bird study, however, will find that Hoffmann’s “A Guide 
to the Birds of New England and Eastern New York ”, 1904, is 
a helpful and authoritative book applicable to the birds of the 
region, and contains very satisfactory hints regarding identification 
afield. 
In offering this introductory guide on the birds of the Palisades 
Interstate Park, I trust it will not be regarded as a technical trea- 
