AND OOLOGIST. 
151 
I August, 1882.] 
this successfully I know of no better sub¬ 
stitute for powder and shot than a good 
field or opera glass. Besides the resident 
bii'ds now and then the patient observer 
will be richly rewarded by a passing ac¬ 
quaintance with many of those migrating 
north. A bird thoroughly shot with the 
glass is forever alive and fixed in the mind, 
and a hundred little ways and habits have 
been noted, which would have been entire¬ 
ly lost if shot in the usual manner. 
To know a bird thoroughly it must be 
watched very closely, and it is often the 
case that many habits and queer ways are 
noted before enough of the descriptive 
points are obtained to determine the spe¬ 
cies. As the bil'd flies here and there its 
manner of flight is soon known, and wdien 
seen on the ground the first thing to be 
observed is whether it hops or walks. 
Having obtained all the points as to size, 
color, jjarticnlar markings, etc., with the 
aid of any good text book, the species may 
soon be determined. There are some diffi¬ 
culties in the way, and at first some errors 
may be made. 
With the novice the female Purple 
Fiucli might be taken for a Sparrow and 
the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers would 
perhaps cause a little trouble, but in a 
short time nearly all birds will be recog 
ognized at first sight. A bird should be 
studied for color against a dark back¬ 
ground ; if seen in the face of strong sun¬ 
light everything becomes black. Often 
unheard of and impossible birds are de¬ 
scribed, because this fact is overlooked. 
Colors are relative and seen imder certain 
conditions they cease to have value. The 
Tanager seen against the dark green of 
hemlocks or other dense trees is all alive 
with brilliant red; when seen against 
a light sky it becomes a black bird. In one 
of my Winter walks I was met by a friend 
who had just seen a flock of Blue-birds. I 
doubted the statement as it was a bitter 
cold day, and the ground was covered wutli 
snow. I took a course as directed bv him 
to find them, and soon overtook the ram¬ 
blers, but they proved to be, as I had sus¬ 
pected, slate-colored Snow-birds, {Jiinco 
hj/enuilis.) The effect of the snow had 
somewhat enhanced their color, and my 
informant undoubtedly believed that he 
had seen Blue-birds. Measurements ob¬ 
tained at glass range may be quite easily 
determined by comparison with the dimen¬ 
sions given in the text-books, of some 
familiar bird like the Robin or Blue-bird. 
For small bii-ds the Chiccadee or some fa¬ 
miliar Sparrow can be taken. In order to 
fully illustrate this subject the reader will 
need to go with me occasionally to the 
fields. Siippose we have taken a cold 
Winter’s day for our walk. The music of 
the crisp snow under our feet will enliven 
the hour, and the bracing health giving air 
will bring the blood tingling to om- cheeks. 
If no birds are seen the walk will not 
have been wholly in vain. But we shall 
find the birds out, and with the first 
we meet, perhaps, several somewhat 
smaller than sparrows, our lesson begins. 
They are naturally a little shy at first, and 
as they fly away to the trees we make our 
first note that they were eating the whit¬ 
ish, waxy coating of the bayberry nuts. 
Becoming less timid they soon venture out 
of their hemlock or juniper coverts and 
go about their business. We shall now 
notice the prominent, and always constant 
bright yellow rump, with more or less of 
yellowish on the wings, and that the upper 
parts are continuously streaked with dark, 
olivaceous brown, and also that the bill is 
quite acute. With this we are prej^ared to 
say that oiir birds are Pine-linnets ( Ghrys- 
omitris innus.') Other birds will be seen 
and undoiabtedly something new will be 
learned about them, but a full account of 
just what fiiay be seen hereabouts on a 
Winter’s day will be deferred until another 
time.— (t. R. C., JVonrlch, Conn. 
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