REPORT OF NEW JERSEY STATE MUSEUM. 43 
many of those species which may he found at all seasons are some¬ 
what migratory —that is, the individuals we have in the winter 
come from places somewhat further north, and those that are here 
in the summer find warmer places further south in the winter; 
but some birds, like the English sparrow, never migrate. 
NESTS AND EGGS. 
“There is no better or more useful work than to watch birds build 
their nests, hatch their eggs and raise their young. After the 
student is able to recognize birds without difficulty, he is prepared 
to watch them and to learn all he can of their ways of living, their 
mating, their singing, their nesting, their eggs, their young, &c. 
It is not difficult to observe birds without disturbing them. An 
interest in living birds will soon lead the student to love them, 
and then he will be able to act when near them so as not to annoy 
or interrupt them in their work. 
“Those who love birds find no difficulty in studying their habits. 
A good opera glass will enable a person to see a bird as well as 
though it were at half the distance. When at a distance of fifty 
feet it can be seen as distinctly as with the naked eye at a distance 
of twenty-five feet. Most birds can be approached as near as fifty 
feet by a person who has no gun and who shows by his actions 
that he does not intend to harm them. 
“If you are interested in the study it will be a great pleasure 
to you to learn all you can about the birds that frequent your 
locality. Through book study alone no complete knowledge can 
be gained of birds or, indeed, of any animals. On the other hand, 
there are facts about the life history of migratory birds, as well 
as the distribution of all birds, which can be learned only from 
the combined observations of many people, in many places, and 
so can be acquired only by reading. After you know a bird 
well enough to recognize it easily, it might be well for you to 
read a little about it, then watch it, listen to its song, examine 
its nest, observe all its habits. After that you will be ready to 
read with advantage and appreciation anything that has been 
written on the subject by creditable authors. 
