T. GILBERT PEARSON.
CONTENTS
| PAGE | ||
| [PREFACE] | v | |
| CHAPTER | ||
| I. |
[
FIRST ACQUAINTANCE WITH THE BIRDS ] Caution in Nest Hunting—Going Afield—Notebooks—Reporting Blanks—Bird Books—Movements of Birds—Artificial Cover in Hiding—The Umbrella Blind—Conclusion. | 3 |
| II. |
[
THE LIFE ABOUT THE NEST ] 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. | 21 |
| III. |
[
DOMESTIC LIFE OF THE BIRDS ] 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. | 42 |
| IV. |
[
THE MIGRATION OF BIRDS ] 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. | 61 |
| V. |
[
THE BIRDS IN WINTER ] 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. | 82 |
| VI. |
[
THE ECONOMIC VALUE OF BIRDS ] 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. | 101 |
| VII. |
[
CIVILIZATION'S EFFECT ON THE BIRD SUPPLY ] 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. | 120 |
| VIII. |
[
THE TRAFFIC IN FEATHERS ] 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. | 140 |
| IX. |
[
BIRD-PROTECTIVE LAWS AND THEIR ENFORCEMENT . . . HOW
LAWS ARE MADE ] 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. | 167 |
| X. |
[
BIRD RESERVATIONS ] 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. | 190 |
| XI. |
[
MAKING BIRD SANCTUARIES ] 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. | 214 |
| XII. |
[
TEACHING BIRD STUDY ] Teaching Children—Junior Audubon Societies—Correlated Studies—Keeping Scrapbooks—Records of Migrants—Essays—Sending Old Nests to City Children—Audubon Prizes—Bird Day. | 239 |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
| [Wood Thrush] | Frontispiece in color |