charms for the bird student. The birds of the shores, 
the rivers and the salt marshes are numerous and vari¬ 
ous. The woods and fields abound in the bird life 
also. Within short distances abundant water and land 
forms may be seen. The Spring and Fall migrations 
pass through the Island. Bird visitors are not infre¬ 
quent. There is much opportunity for recording new 
observations. The records are by no means complete. 
Some of the young naturalists trained in the schools 
should be directed to this interesting work. And 
everyone should be led to distinguish our common 
birds. Instead of calling our dozen or more species of 
sparrows all “grey birds”, their correct names should 
be known. There are five distinct species of swallows, 
nine-species of hawks, more than ten species of sand¬ 
pipers, etc, There is a fine field for training in exact 
knowledge in this respect. 
School Equipment for Bird Study Needed.— 
It is not possible for any teacher to do very good work 
or at least go very far in bird studies without the help 
of books, pictures and charts. These are the teacher’s 
working equipment. As well for a farmer to try to 
farm without a plow. Of course the preliminary re¬ 
quisites are some knowledge of birds and a desire to 
get the children interested. But working tools are 
needed too. At first one book and a few pictures will 
suffice for the commencement. But means should be 
taken to procure several bird books for the school 
library, and colored pictures of birds, either separ¬ 
ately or on charts. Of course it is not meant that 
the studies will be confined to books and pictures. This 
would be poor bird study. The best part of the work 
will be the pupils’ independent observations and records. 
The books and pictures are to stimulate individual ac¬ 
tivity. They are merely tools. The stud} of them is 
a means not an end. The trustees should, by right of 
their trusteeship of the children’s education, secure 
these things for the school. It is their business and 
duty to do this. But if they will not, the teacher may 
get the children to co-operate in raising the money 
needed through their gardening work, a concert or a 
school fair. Such unselfish training provides good 
training for the “ co-operative spirit ” which makes for 
good citizenship. 
Books Recommended. — For the first book. 
Reed’s Bird Guide , Part 2 , Land Birds East of the 
Rockies is recommended. It has good colored pictures 
of all our land birds except the hawks and owls (these 
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