It should not be overlooked by the young observer that if he would
learn to recognize at once any particular bird, he should make himself
acquainted with the song and call notes of every bird around him. The
identification, however, of the many feathered creatures with which we
meet in our rambles has heretofore required so much patience, that,
though a delight to the enthusiast, few have time to acquire any great
intimacy with them. To get this acquaintance with the birds, the
observer has need to be prepared to explore perilous places, to climb
lofty trees, and to meet with frequent mishaps. To be sure if every
veritable secret of their habits is to be pried into, this pursuit will
continue to be plied as patiently as it has ever been. The opportunity,
however, to secure a satisfactory knowledge of bird song and bird life
by a most delightful method has at last come to every one.
A gentleman who has taken a great interest in BIRDS from the appearance
of the first number, but whose acquaintance with living birds is quite
limited, visited one of our parks a few days ago, taking with him the
latest number of the magazine. His object, he said, was to find there
as many of the living forms of the specimens represented as he could.
"Seating myself amidst a small grove of trees, what was my delight at
seeing a Red Wing alight on a telegraph wire stretching across the park.
Examining the picture in BIRDS I was somewhat disappointed to find that
the live specimen was not so brilliantly marked as in the picture.
Presently, however, another Blackbird alighted near, who seemed to be
the veritable presentment of the photograph. Then it occured to me
that I had seen the Red Wing before, without knowing its name. It kept
repeating a rich, juicy note, _oncher-la-ree-e!_ its tail tetering at
quick intervals. A few days later I observed a large number of Red Wings
near the Hyde Park water works, in the vicinity of which, among the
trees and in the marshes, I also saw many other birds unknown to me.
With BIRDS in my hands, I identified the Robin, who ran along the ground
quite close to me, anon summoning with his beak the incautious angle
worm to the surface. The Jays were noisy and numerous, and I observed
many new traits in the Wood Thrush, so like the Robin that I was at
first in some doubt about it. I heard very few birds sing that day, most
of them being busy in search of food for their young."
[CONTINUED ON PAGE 17.]