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Mrodlure

A Bi-monthly Magazine Devoted to the Study and Protection ot Eirds

OFFICIAL one” on THE Arnuuus SOCIETIES

Edited by FRANK M, CHAPMAN Published by THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

No. 5

Vol. IV Published October 1. 1902

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crrrvlttcll‘rsn. re ,lrv FRANK .u. cunt-or. -

Bird-Lore's Motto: A Em! in the Emir is Warm Two m the Ham!

A Question nl Identity

We are frequently in receipt of reports of the occurrence of rare birds or of birds far beyond tlre boundaries of their normal range, which, while sent in perfectly good faith, are obviously based on faulty obser- vation, though it is difficult, in fact some- times impossible, to convince the observer of his error in identiﬁcation When such observations are not published nn especial harm results from them beyond increasing tlle student’s liability to err again, but when they are recorded in print they be- come part of the literature of ornithology and cannot be ignored, even by those who feel assured of their incorrectness,

So the question arises, What constitutes justifiable grounds lor publicly recording the occtlrrenceof an exceedingly rare species or of a species beyond the limits of its own country? Tile professional ornithologist replies, "the capture of a specimen;" but to this violent method of identifying, the opera— glass student objects, and, sentiment aside, we think rightly, It is undeniably exciting to secure a specimen of a rare species, or to add a species to the knotvn fauna of one's state; Ornithology would have been more beneﬁtted

but we believe that the science of

Bird - Lore

by the life of most of these " rare " birds than in their death. What, for instance, might now be the range of the Mocking- bird if practically every bird and nest of this species found by collectors north of its usual range had not been taken? Again, how often the gun has robbed us of most interesting and important facts in the life history of that ornithological mystery. Brewster's Warbler!

But. in refusing to use the gun. must the opera—glass student he denied the privilege of having his observations accepted without question? It depends upon many and varied circtlmstances. In the ﬁrst place, gun or no gun. we lnttst take into consideration the mental attitude of the enthusiastic bird student aﬁeldr It is in the highest degree receptive; he is on the lookout for rare birds, and both eye and ear are ready and willing to interpret favorably any sight or sound not clearly seen or heard. We know an experienced collector of birds who was exceedingly desirous of securing a specimen of a Nonpareil, a bird he had never seen in natural When. therefore, he ﬁrst reached the range of this beautiful and strikingly colored bird he was constantly alert to de- tect it; and it was not long before he saw a bright, full»plumaged male perched in plain view on the topmost iwigof a low bush. It was in easy range; he fired, the bird fell, lre rushed in and picked np a—Y'ellow- rumped Warbler!

Another collector we knolv of identiﬁed with certainty a Blue Grosbeak some two or three hundred miles north of its usual range, bttt the report of his gun, singularly enough, transformed it into a male Cow- bird!‘ Still another excitedly chased a Dickcissel from field to ﬁeld, and when it at length fell a victim to his aim he found he had been pursuing a male English Sparrow

So we might enumerate dozens oi cases illustrating our liability to err in making field identiﬁcations, and the extreme care needed to name accurately in nature birds which we have never seen alive. Consequently. we should number among the requirements of field identiﬁcation the following: (i ) Experience in naming