Game Information

Directions for Playing

Game of Birds

For 3 or more persons seated around a table

The dealer in the first game is chosen by lot, and thereafter the deal goes in turn to the left. Shuffle the cards and deal one at a time, beginning at the left, until each player has eight cards. The remainder are placed in a pile, face down, on the table.

The object of the game is to collect the cards into "books." Three cards with the same name at the top make a "book."

The player at left of the dealer begins the game by making as many "books" as he can from his hand. For instance, if he has three cards with the name SONG BIRDS at the top, he lays these aside as one book. Then he calls on another player for any card he desires, merely mentioning the name at the top of the card. If the player called on has any card with that name at the top he must give it up.

First player then continues to call for and receive the cards until he calls for a card from a person who has not that card; he then draws one from the pile and the next player begins. The players follow in turn. When all books are completed, the person having secured the greatest number of books wins.

If played by two persons only six cards should be dealt to each, the remainder of cards being placed face downward on the table. The game is then played just the same as described above.

Little children who can't read the names, may play this game by using the figure [clarification=number] printed in the corner of each card.

Grown people who desire to learn the names of the birds, may do so by reading aloud the reading matter on each card. This should be done at time of laying each book aside.

The game consists of a paper cover open at the top and bottom, a sheet of instructions the size of a game card uncut, and 9 cards each containing 8 playing pieces to be cut from the card numbered B-1 to B-9. This creates a total of 72 playing pieces once cut up. Each one of the playing pieces contain a number (1 to 17), category of birds, and a specific bird name (e.g. 2, TROPICAL BIRDS, Blue Mountain Lory).

[clarification=There was evidently a printing error as there are only 2 Meadow Bird cards and 7 Tropical Birds cards, thus making a partial set of each. All of the other bird categories and numbers work out for a total of 24 sets of 3 cards. Had one of the Tropical Birds category cards been a Meadow Bird card, then all of the sets would work. This may have been corrected in later versions of the game. There is not an even number of sets of each of the categories or numbers since there are 17 numbers and categories and a total of 24 sets. Some have three sets while some have one.]