Charles Johnson Maynard (1845-1929), a Newton naturalist and ornithologist, wrote this book on sparrows and finches as a teaching device to train young bird watchers’ eyes and ears – using frequently occurring species whose varieties were easily distinguishable by their song and markings. He dedicated the book to the school teachers of New England as a tool to train habits of observation in students who would one day study a wider range of birds. The book contains tinted drawings of head and neck of the birds, description of habits, nest, egg, dimensions, and comparisons with other birds.

Newton Free Library