INTRODUCTION 
K- 
Birds express all that is beautiful, joyous, and free in nature. They 
delight our eyes, charm our ears, quicken our imagination, and through 
association with the bushland inspire us with a profound love of 
country. 
What visions of freedom and joy come to us when we see a flock of 
Scarlet Honey-eaters feeding among the blossoms of a tea-tree; a 
Spinebill sipping nectar from a native fuchsia; a Blue Wren moving 
among the golden beauty of a wattle-tree; or Silver Gulls flying lazily 
above the limpid blue waters of our harbours? What pleasure is 
ours when we hear the joyous carefree carolling of Magpies at dawn; 
the springtime song of the Grey Thrush; the wonderful song mimicry 
of the Lyretail, or a Song-lark soaring heavenwards filling the air 
with its melody. 
Nature study has developed enormously during the past few years, 
more particularly that branch devoted to birds. 
The idea is gradually being discarded, that, to study birds one had 
to make a collection of skins or eggs. Nowadays the camera has 
displaced the gun, and the photographic album, the skin and egg 
cabinet. The collection and preservation of specimens is essential to 
a complete knowledge of birds, as one must handle a definite object 
before its structure and colour can be studied correctly. This material 
is always available to students in museums—being placed there for 
that purpose. Students are therefore advised to visit these institutions, 
where every facility is offered for the study of species observed in the 
field. 
There is an art in studying birds in the field. For instance, obser¬ 
vations will be more successful in the early morning or towards 
evening, than if made during the midday period. In the morning birds 
are particularly active searching for food after the night’s rest: towards 
evening they are again active seeking food and roosting-sites. 
Birds may be found in almost any type of country; rain forests and 
open forests, however, offer the greatest variety. There they may be 
observed on the ground, on the tree-trunks, or among the foliage, 
favoured haunts being the borders of more open areas of the scrub. In 
the denser parts they are difficult to observe, as they keep to the upper 
outer foliage of the tall trees. Heath-lands also offer a wealth of bird- 
life. Here an observer s task is considerably lightened by the open 
nature of the vegetation. Belts of timber on the margins of streams, 
and isolated clumps of trees dotted over plains or cleared areas will 
amply repay investigation. Birds of the swamps and reed-birds are 
habitually shy and test the observer’s patience and ingenuity. 
The bird-student is advised to keep detailed lists of the birds of 
his locality or other areas he may be in the habit of visiting. These 
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