BY THE WAYSIDE 
31 
three groups as a basis for division. We 
would then group the chief orders oc¬ 
curring in the northern United States 
as follows: 
1. Water-loving birds: 
(a) Pygopodes 
(b) Longipennes 
(c) A riser es 
IT. Marsh-loving birds: 
(a) Herodiones 
(b) Paludicolae 
(c) Limicolae 
III. Land-loving birds: 
(a) Gallinae 
(b) Columbae 
(c) Raptores 
(d) Coccyges 
(e) Pici * 
(f) Macrochires 
(g) Passeres 
Let us consider group 1 a little more 
closely. The birds placed under these 
three orders typically obtain their 
food from bodies of open water, either 
from the surface or below it, or ob¬ 
jects which have been washed ashore. 
Because of the convenience it affords 
to aquatic habits, these birds all have 
webbed feet. The power of diving is 
somewhat variously developed. Fur¬ 
ther classification may be made as fol¬ 
lows : 
A. More or less expert divers: 
(1) Pygopodes—expert divers 
comprising the loons and 
grebes. Plumage dull col¬ 
ored on the whole. 
(21 Anseres—duck-like birds 
comprising the ducks and 
geese. Ability to dive 
various, plumage often 
bright in the males at 
least. 
AA. Not characteristically diving 
birds: 
(T) Longipennes comprising 
the gulls and terns. Char¬ 
acteristically white birds, 
usually pure white below 
in mating plumage, pearl 
gray or slightly darker 
above; head or tips of 
wings often show areas of 
black. 
Exception: The black 
tern whose head and body 
is jet black. It has how¬ 
ever, a slate gray mantle. 
It is nearly white in fall 
and immature plumage. 
Note: The terns are not typically 
swimming birds, yet they possess webb¬ 
ed feet and are very similar to the gulls. 
They are seldom found away from 
open water and secure their food by 
darting down and seizing it from near 
the surface of the water. 
An Historical Sketch 
, A. C. Burrill. 
Do you know, the year 1913 was one 
of the most momentous in the protec¬ 
tion of our native birds in the history 
oi this nation, aye, in the history of 
this very state we live in. Let me 
enumerate: 
January 9. The president signed the 
executive order creating a federal bird 
reserve in Wisconsin, Gravel Island re¬ 
serve and adjacent islands for sea gulls, 
etc..—the first national reserve request¬ 
ed by the people of this state through 
its conservation commission. You re¬ 
call that Ex-President Roosevelt cre¬ 
ated twice as many bird reserves as all 
