A HANDBOOK OF THE 
     
     BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 
     
    
   
   
    
     INTRODUCTION. 
     
    
   
   
    
     CHAPTER I. 
     
     THE STUDY OF ORXITHOLOGY. 
     
    
   
   
    
     BIRDs,t‘Ieca11se of their beauty, the charm of their songs, and the 
     
     ; ease with which they may be observed, are douhtless the forms of 
     
     animal life which first attract the young,r naturalist’s attention. His 
     
     interest in them gives evidence of an inborn love of Nature. Too 
     
     often this priceless gift is lost simply through lack of encouragement; 
     
     and instruction. Properly developed it should prove a neveiufailing 
     
     source of pleasure and inspiration, if indeed its influence does not 
     
     become the most potent factor in our lives. 
     
    

    
     Let us hope that the day is not distant when the importance of in— 
     
     troducing natural-history studies into our schools will be, generally 
     
     ‘ recognized. The young student of Nature will then be helped over 
     
     i the repelling technicalities which render so difficult the first steps to 
     
    

    
     a knowledge of his chosen subject. Without a guide he now either 
     
     loses his way eompletely or travels under disadvantages which handi- 
     
     cap him for the whole journey. 
     
    
   
   
    
       
     
    
   
   
    
     The uninstructed beginner in ornithology usually expends his en— 
     
     ergies in {Grilling a collection. and he knows no better way of pursuing 
     
     his study of birds than to kill and stuff them! Collecting specimens 
     
     is a step in the scientific study of birds, but ornithology would have 
     
    

    
     . small claim to our consideration if its possibilities ended here. Prop- 
     
     erly cousideml. it includes what mav be termed the science of orni- 
     
     thology and the sentiment of ornithology. As a science it treats of 
     
     birds as the exponents of natural lawsand seeks to determine their 
     
     place, in the scale of life. In the sentiment of ornithology Nature ap- 
     
    
   
   
    
     l peals to us through the most interesting and beautiful of her animate 
     
     l forms. 
     
    
   
   
    
     9 1 
     
    
   
   
    
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