G14 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. [2] 



contents. If the water does not come out perfectly clear, repeat the 

 process until it does. Eggs that have been thoroughly cleaned will re- 

 tain their original color much better, and insects or mice are not apt to 

 trouble them. After the egg has been cleaned it should be put away, 

 hole downward, and allowed to drain. The best material to place an 

 egg on to absorb whatever moisture may remain in it after cleaning is 

 corn meal. Particles of this substance that may remain sticking about 

 the hole of the eggs are easily removed by a slight touch of the fingers. 



To pack eggs. — Many rare specimens are lost by imj^roper packing. 

 Egg-shells, even after having been blown, should (during transit, at 

 least) never touch each other. Each egg should be wrapped separately 

 in cotton, and they should not be packed too close. In sending eggs 

 through the mail they should be packed in stout wooden boxes, the box 

 being first lined with cotton all around and the eggs placed in after- 

 wards, rather loosely, each egg wrapped in cotton by itself. Tin boxes 

 are not as good as wooden ones. Cigar boxes answer well, provided 

 they are partitioned off through the middle to prevent the lid being 

 crushed in on top of the eggs, which often happens where this precau- 

 tion is not taken. 



Marking eggs. — Eggs should be marked with a soft pencil in prefer- 

 ence to anything else, as these marks can always be washed off clean, 

 when it is desirable to do so, which cannot be done when certain inks 

 are used. A good way is to place the catalogue number of the eggs on 

 one side of the hole and the set number, and number of the eggs con- 

 tained in the set, on oj)posite sides. The date of collecting can, if de- 

 sired, be placed below, and it is well to mark this on at least one egg 

 of each set. 



For Instance, I desire to mark a set of ten eggs of the Sora Kail 

 {Porzana Carolina), taken June 14, 1884. The marks would be thus, 

 Catalogue No. 574, Smithsonian Check-list of 1881 : 



Set mark of collector. 



No. of eggs in set. , 



Date. 



Eggs look much better when they are clean ; and soiled ones, when 

 first taken, can easily be cleaned with a little "Soap and water at the 

 time of blowing them, while it is often impossible to remove stains on 

 the shell, if they have been allowed to remain any length of time. 



CHS. E. BENDIRE. 



The numbers are those of the "Nomenclature of North American Birds," published as Bulletin 21, 

 of the IT. S. National Museum. 



§1 §4a t[6] t9 13 §15 i tl7 i t[21J 



§2 t5 7 UO §13a tl5« *18 ; 22 



§3 t5a 7a 11 , tl4 tl6 i tl9 §23 



4 f56 , *8 12 tl4a i *10a : *r201 24 



