PREFACE A VERY real desire for a school-book on Birds -. has resulted in this volume. Books on British Birds are legion, for these bright creatures make so strong an appeal that the Nature-loving public have been well catered for by the publishers who have produced books ranging in price from pence to guineas. Few of these are specially designed to help pupil or teacher by taking a definite place curriculum. in the school Birds are best studied as living creatures in their own homes otherwise it is difficult to obtain any real idea of the lives they lead. Over and over again I have found that teachers have a keen desire to know how this practical study of birds can be organised both in and out of school hours, and the present volume has been written to meet this want. The twenty-four lessons which follow are arranged in the order of the Seasons. They have already been tested in myown classes both with teachersand scholars, and it is as a result of combined experiences from field and class-room that it has been possible to put together these pages. The attempt to use living wild birds as material for a course of school lessons which have to be fitted into the school time-table is at least new and daring, some critics may say impossible and absurd. Difficulties, I admit, exist that is just why I welcome helpful suggestions and hearty co-operation from any others who have tried the experiment. This book is also intended to be helpful to any boys or girls who have no Nature lessons in school hours, but who pursue these hobbies for themselves in their holidays. It may, too, prove of some assistance to those interested in bird study but not connected with school work, more especially from the point of view of bird ecology, and will perhaps suggest to them some new line of thought which, so far, has not been made manifest. The line drawings have been specially prepared for this book by Mr C. F. Newall of Wallasey, Cheshire. I am indebted to Mr Oxley Grabham, Curator of the York Museum, for some assistance in reading proofs. April 1914. AV. P. W. CONTENTS PART I. BIRD STUDIES IN SPRING March to May 1. ALONG THE HEDGEROW 1 PAGE 2. ROUND THE POND 10 3. PAIRING 17 4. SUMMER MIGRANTS 24 5. A BIRD CENSUS 29 6. BIRDS NESTS AND EGGS 37 PART II. BIRD STUDIES IN SUMMER June to August 7. WATCHING THE PIGEONS 46 8. ON THE ROOF 49 9. IN THE PARK 54 10. INSECT EATERS 58 11. SEED EATERS . . . . . . . 63 12. BIRDS OF PREY 67 PART III. BIRD STUDIES IN AUTUMN September to November 13. AUTUMN MIGRANTS 71 14. BY THE SHORE 75 15. IN THE WOOD 81 16. DOWN THE LANE .86 17. THE LAKE IN THE PARK 89 18. MOULTING . 95 x Contents PART IV. BIRD STUDIES IN WINTER December to February LESSON PAGE 19. ACROSS THE FIELDS 100 20. IN THE PARK 103 21. ROUND THE FARMYARD 107 22. THE WOODS IN WINTER Ill 23. FEEDING THE BIRDS 24. AT THE MUSEUM 122 PPENDIX I. Notes on the Classification of Birds . . . 129 II. A List of British Song Birds 130 III. A List of Regular Spring and Summer Migrants Notes on Autumn and Winter to Britain Migrants IV. Glossary of Technical Terms, and Bird Diagram 115 131 . 133 V. Signalling when Bird Watching . . . . 136 VI. List of Societies promoting the study and protection of Birds, etc 138 VII. Books, Journals, Magazines, Reports, etc. . . 139 VIII. Apparatus, Materials, etc 144 IX...