Being hints on identifying 145 birds,prepared primarily for the springmigration in Lincoln Park, Chicago
BY
Herbert Eugene Walter
AND
Alice Hall Walter
REVISED AND ENLARGED EDITION
WITH CHART AND KEY
Chicago
A. W. Mumford & Company, Publishers
378 Wabash Avenue
1906
Copyright 1901, 1902 and 1904
by Alice Hall Walter
With the continued success of this little booklet the authorshave been led to revise and enlarge the present issue in the hopethat it will prove more helpful and complete to those beginningthe outdoor study of birds.
The new features of this edition are the addition offorty-five birds—the majority of which are shore and waterbirds—and a simple field key. The number of each bird asgiven in the check-list of the American Ornithologist’s Unionhas also been inserted after its scientific name as an aid in referringto larger bird-books. The subject matter has been carefullyrewritten and the order of the birds rearranged in accordancewith data covering observations during the last sevenyears, as well as the charts which show the relative abundanceof the birds and the height of the migration in Lincoln Park.
We wish to thank our friends for their kind support infurthering our efforts to enlarge the circle of admirers whichthe wild birds so richly deserve.
“All nature is so full that that district produces the greatestvariety which is most examined.”
The object of this little book is to furnish those who maybe interested in making the acquaintance of wild birds with asimple letter of introduction to 145 birds, the majority of whichare commonly seen during the spring migration.
Complete descriptions have been avoided, in the belief thatthe student should rely upon his own observation for the discoveryof minor details. The living bird is the one importantfact which will make the brief hints offered of value.
Anyone caring to make use of these hints may be assuredthat during the migrations of the birds city dwellers have oneof the keenest delights of country life brought to their verydoors, because many birds, migrating largely at night, areattracted by the lights of the city and stop off in their longjourney to feed, so that a city park often contains a greatervariety of feathered visitors than an equal area in the country.
We wish to remind those of our friends who have askedfor pictures in a future edition that this book actually is copiouslyillustrated by hundreds of living birds every springtime in ourparks and around our homes, illustrations that are all life size,absolutely accurate in detail and colored true to nature.
“As for the birds * * * they add immeasurably tothe wholesome beauty of life.”
“A good observer is quick to take a hint and followit up.”—John Burroughs.
The identification of birds depends quite as much uponaccurate observation of their size, motions, flight, characteristicattitudes, manner of feeding, compan