works better. Here each pupil should have a note-book in 
which should be recorded his own observations. These should 
include the time of arrival, numbers, nesting, food, departure, 
acts of depredation, value to man, etc. Every note should be 
dated to be of value. In the course of a year the pupils will 
find several dead birds; these should be brought to school for 
specimens. Shooting birds for speci?nens should not be tolerated. 
Last year we had twenty-two birds brought to school for study. 
Among those brought alive were the barn owl, coot, horned grebe, 
meadowlark, barred owl, and flicker. Several different kinds of 
ducks were brought and a number of dead birds, among them 
a blackheaded grosbeak, golden-crowned warbler, Bohemian 
waxwing, downy woodpecker, and bittern. I mention these to 
show the actual possibilities in this line. 
At the end of the year we made a table like this : 
Especially 
Valuable. 
Nesting. 
Summer 
Residents, j 
Winter 
Residents. 
Permanent 
Residents. 
Migrants. 
Accidental. 
i. Barred Owl. 
Rare. 
X 
X 
Seen. 
2. Baltimore Oriole. 
Common... 
X 
X 
X 
, , 
, , 
, , 
Seen. 
3. Ruby-crowned Kinglet...... 
4. Bob-white. 
Uncommon . 
Common.... 
X 
X 
X 
X 
Reported. 
Seen. 
5. Canada Goose. 
Common.... 
• • 
# , 
X 
Seen. 
6. Bohemian Waxwing. 
Common.... 
X 
Seen. 
The table needs but little explanation. A list is made 
from the notes of all of the pupils, but each marks his own. 
One pupil will see the northern shrike and mark it “seen,” 
while another can only mark it “reported.” No bird is put on 
the list without the approval of the teacher. Last year we had 
seventy-three birds on our list, and I can answer for every one 
of them. 
Now I believe this to be true bird study and its utility and 
common sense are its defense. Only fifteen minutes twice 
a week was needed to keep the notes, and the time was not 
missed. An interest was aroused and the diversion from regular 
school work was pleasing. Many pupils reported an added pleas¬ 
ure in verifying their notes and observations during the summer 
vacation, and all voted for a continuation of the study during 
the present school year. 
I have never taught a school where I did not have bird 
study, and I have never heard an objection. It is not a good 
