Birds of The Palisades Interstate Park 1 7 
as it furnishes a large water surface and miles of wooded shore 
margins. 
The Forest. The entire area under consideration is densely 
forested (Fig. 1). For a general characterization of the region, 
I abbreviate almost literally from Moon (“ The Highlands of the 
Hudson Forest Reservation ”, Forest, Fish and Game Commission, 
Fifteenth Annual Report, 1910, pp. 103-121), as follows : The forest 
is almost entirely of a hardwood type ; in a few instances conifers, 
noticeably hemlock, are to-be found. Old fields and orchards have 
grown up to a tangle of gray birch, cedar,' alder, maple, etc. The 
entire area can be considered as of sprout origin. The forest can- 
opy is ragged as a rule. Owing to a lack of sufficient cover and the 
thin, hot soil, humus is very slight in amount. About one inch 
would be the average depth. The soil cover consists, for the most 
part, of grass, ferns, blueberry bushes and sweet fern. The forest 
composition is indicated by percentages as follows : Chestnut, 35 ; 
maple, 1 1 ; red oak, 8 ; black oak, 7 ; chestnut oak, 6 ; white oak, 
5 ; hickory, 8 ; black birch, 4 ; tulip, 3 ; ash, 3 ; basswood, 3 ; 
locust, 2; miscellaneous, 5. Chestnut was formerly by far the 
most important species, but the blight has killed most of these 
trees. On some of the slopes of medium elevation it formed as 
high as seventy per cent, of the stand. It is most commonly found 
with the red and white oaks in the draws and swales. Along the 
brooks and ponds, basswood, tulip, sycamore, beech and black birch 
are found, mixed with chestnuts and oaks. Toward the upper 
slopes chestnut-oak and hickory become prominent, while on the 
extreme tops the scrub oak forms a dense thicket scarcely breast- 
high. 
SUGGESTIONS FOR BIRD STUDY IN THE PALISADES INTER- 
STATE PARK 
How to Study Birds in the Field. Where to find the birds is 
an important question. Birds prefer the margins of openings in the 
forest rather than the interior of dense timber. The edges of 
woods along trails, roads, streams and lakes are frequented by the 
birds in their various activities; and quiet walks in such places, 
