REGISTRATION AND LABELLING 



35 



case, only the locality and collector are added. A complete label 

 records the following particulars : 1 . Title, of the survej^ voyage, 

 exploration, or other expedition (if any), during which the specimen 

 was collected. 2. Name of the person in charge of the same (and 

 it may be remarked that the less he really cares about birds, and 

 the less he actually interests himself to procure them, the more 

 particular he will be about this). 3. TilU of the institution or 

 association (if any) under the auspices or patronage of which the 

 specimen was procured, or for which it is designed. 4. Name of 

 collector ; partly to give credit where it is due, but principally to 

 fix responsibility, and authenticate the rest of the items. f). 

 Collector's number, referring to his note-book, as just explained; if 

 the specimen afterwards forms part of a general collection it 

 usually acquires another number by new registry ; the collector's 

 then becoming the "original," as distinguished from the "current," 

 number. 6. Locality, perhaps the most important of all the items. 

 A specimen of unknown or even uncertain origin is worthless or 

 nearly so. Lamentable confusion has only too often arisen in 

 ornithological writings from vague or erroneous indications of 

 locality. I should say that a specimen not authentic in this 

 particular had better have its supposed origin erased. Nor Avill it 

 do to say simply, for instance, "North America" or "England." 

 The general geographical distribution of birds being according to 

 recognised faunal areas, ornithologists generally know already the 

 quarter of the globe from which any bird comes ; the locality of 

 particular specimens, therefore, should be fixed down to the very 

 spot. If this be obscure, add the name of the nearest place to be 

 found on a fairly good map, giving distance and direction. 7. Date 

 of collection, — day of the month, and year. Among other reasons for 

 this may be mentioned the fact that it is often important to know 

 what season a particular plumage indicates. 8. Sex, and if possible 

 also affe, of the specimen, — an item that bespeaks its own import- 

 ance. Ornithologists of all countries are agreed upon certain signs 

 to indicate the sex. These are : ^J for nude, 5 for female, — the 

 symbols respectively of Mars and Venus. Immaturity is often 

 denoted by the sign ^ ; thus, ^ ^, young male. Or, we may write 

 ? ad., ? ?j(j., for adult female, young female, respectively. It is 

 preferable, however, to use the language of science, not our 

 vernacular, and say ^ juv. [juvenis, young). Nupt. signifies breed- 

 ing plumage ; homof. means a bird of the year. 9. Measure- 

 ments of length, and of extent of wings ; the former can only be 

 obtained approximately, and the latter not at all, from a prepared 

 specimen. 10. Colour of the eyes, and of the bill, feet, or other 

 naked or soft jjarts, the tints of which may change in drying. 

 11. Miscellaneous particulars, such as contents of stomach, special 



