The Bird Study Book | Page 3

of the ruby-throated hummingbird . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Bald Eagle's eyrie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Grebe or "water witch" . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Canada Geese decoys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
A greedy young Cowbird . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Migration routes of some North American birds . . . . . . . . 71
Lighthouses cause the death of many birds . . . . . . . . . . 76
Tired migrating birds often alight on ships . . . . . . . . . 79
Grouse "budding" in an apple tree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
Cuckoo raiding a tent of caterpillars . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
Screech owl and its prey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Passenger Pigeons are now extinct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127
The Great Auk, now extinct . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133
Terns formerly sought by the feather trade . . . . . . . . . . 144
Crowned Pigeon that furnishes the "goura" of the feather trade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159
Migrative birds are protected by the Government . . . . . . . 172
The grotesque Wood Ibis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208
Hungry young Egrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Cemented holes shut out the Chickadee . . . . . . . . . . . . 216
Gourds and boxes for Martins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 219
A bird bath . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235
Coloring of birds upon outline drawings . . . . . . . . . . . 257

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THE BIRD STUDY BOOK
CHAPTER I
FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE BIRDS
It is in spring that wild birds make their strongest appeal to the human mind; in fact, the words "birds" and "spring" seem almost synonymous, so accustomed are we to associate one with the other. All the wild riotous singing, all the brave flashing of wings and tail, all the mad dashing in and out among the thickets or soaring upward above the tree-tops, are impelled by the perfectly natural instinct of mating and rearing young. And where, pray, dwells the soul so poor that it does not thrill in response to the appeals of the ardent lover, even if it be a bird, or feel sympathy upon beholding expressions of parental love and solicitude. Most people, therefore, are interested in such spring bird life as comes to their notice, the extent of this interest depending {4} in part on their opportunity for observation, but more especially, perhaps, on their individual taste and liking for things out of doors.
It would seem safe to assume that there is hardly any one who does not know by sight at least a few birds. Nearly every one in the eastern United States and Canada knows the Robin, Crow, and English Sparrow; in the South most people are acquainted with the Mockingbird and Turkey Buzzard; in California the House Finch is abundant about the towns and cities; and to the dwellers in the Prairie States the Meadowlark is very familiar.
Taking such knowledge, however slight, as a basis, there is no reason why any one, if he so desires, should not, with a little effort, get on neighbourly terms with a large number of birds of the region, and spring is a most favourable time to begin such an effort. One may learn more about a bird's habits by closely observing its movements for a few hours at this season than by watching it for a month later on. The life that centres about the nest is most {5} absorbing. Few sights are more stimulating to interest in