The Bird Study Book

Caution in Nest Hunting--Going Afield--Notebooks--Reporting Blanks--Bird Books--Movements of Birds--Artificial Cover in Hiding--The Umbrella Blind--Conclusion.

II. THE LIFE ABOUT THE NEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Nest Hunting--Behaviour when Nest Is Discovered--Lessons to Be Learned--Character of Material Used--Nests in Holes--Variety of Locations--Variation in Families--Meagre Nests.

III. DOMESTIC LIFE OF THE BIRDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Parental Care of Young--Sharing the Labours--Length of Mated Life--A Much-married Bluebird--The Faithful Canada Geese--Unmated Birds--Polygamy Among Birds--The Outcast.

IV. THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Moulting--Why Birds Migrate--The Gathering Flocks--The Usual Movement--The Travelling Shore Birds--The World's Migrating Champion--Perils of Migration--Keeping Migration Records.

V. THE BIRDS IN WINTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82

A Good Time for Field Walks--The Downy's Winter Quarters--Birds and the Night--The Food Question in Winter--When the Food Supply Fails--Wild Fowl Destroyed in the Oil Fields--Hunting Winter Birds.

VI. THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF BIRDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

A Government Report--Plagues of Insects--Some Useful Birds--The Question of the Weed Seeds--Dealing with the Rodent Pests--The Terror That Flies by Night--A Seldom Recognised Blessing.

VII. CIVILIZATION'S EFFECT ON THE BIRD SUPPLY . . . . . . . 120

Number of Birds in the World--Number in the Different States--Increase of Farm-land Species--Effect of Forest Devastation--Commercializing Birds--Wild Pigeon--Ivory-billed Woodpecker--Labrador Duck--Great Auk--Eskimo Curlew.

VIII. THE TRAFFIC IN FEATHERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140

War on the Sea Swallows--What the Ladies Wore--The Story of the Egrets--Amateur Feather Hunters--Maribou--Pheasants--Numidie--Goura--Women's Love for Feathers--Ostrich Feathers Are Desirable.

IX. BIRD-PROTECTIVE LAWS AND THEIR ENFORCEMENT . . . HOW LAWS ARE MADE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Definition of Game--Audubon Laws--Game Law Enforcement--Lacy Lava--Federal Migratory Bird Law--History of Game Laws--The Theory of Shiras--Work of the Bird Committee--Government Explanations--World's Only Bird Treaty.

X. BIRD RESERVATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

First Federal Bird Reservation--Congressional Sanction--Florida Reservations--Distant Reservations--President Taft a Bird Protectionist--Audubon Society Reservations--The Corkscrew Rookery--Wardens Shot by Plume Hunters.

XI. MAKING BIRD SANCTUARIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 214

Natural Nesting Places Destroyed--Nesting Boxes for Birds--Some Rules for Making and Erecting Bird Boxes--Sites of Bird Boxes--Feeding Birds--Community Sanctuaries--Birdcraft Sanctuary--Cemeteries as Bird Sanctuaries--A Birdless Cemetery--Birds of a New York Graveyard--Enemies to Be Eliminated--Berries and Fruit for Birds.

XII. TEACHING BIRD STUDY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239

Teaching Children--Junior Audubon Societies--Correlated Studies--Keeping Scrapbooks--Records of Migrants--Essays--Sending Old Nests to City Children--Audubon Prizes--Bird Day.