for forming Collections of Birds' Eggs." 417 



the case of passerine birds^ found horsehair nooses placed on the 

 nest the easiest and most satisfactory mode of identification, 

 and one that greatly economizes the collector's time. We are 

 glad Mr. Newton has mentioned Mr. Hancock's method of pre- 

 serving birds by a few drops of pyroligneous acid in the mouth 

 and vent, a recipe we have ourselves proved with success in 

 warm climates. 



On Authentication, our author presses the " writing in ink on 

 the shells not only the name of the species to which each belongs, 

 but also, as far as the space will admit, as many particulars re- 

 lating to the amount of identification to which the specimen 

 was subjected, the locality where, the date when, and name of 

 the person by whom they were taken, adding always a reference 

 to the journal or note-book of the collector, wherein fuller details 

 may be given." The local name only should be used for eggs 

 brought in by natives ; or if the scientific name be added, it should 

 be in brackets; thus, " Tooglee Aiah {Squatarola helvetica)," 

 [We wish Mr. Newton would tell us in confidence whence we 

 could get Tooglee-aiah brought in to our own collection.] The 

 importance of each collector adding his initials or monogram to 

 all eggs taken by himself is not forgotten. 



Another section is devoted to the description of egg-blowing 

 implements, and three pages are partially occupied by figures of 

 weapons which we should be sorry to show to a nervous lady 

 on her way to the dentist, and which might teach a presump- 

 tuous grandchild that it is no light affair to suck eggs. Let not, 

 however, the tyro imagine that he must expend a fortune at the 

 surgical instrument maker's. The implements are simple, though 

 some of them we should be inclined to reckon among the oologist's 

 ' articles de luxe.' With a pin, a straw or blowpipe, an old rat- 

 tailed file, a pair of fine-pointed scissors and a penknife, very 

 workmanlike specimens can be turned out. Still every regular 

 collector will find a use for each implement figured by Mr. 

 Newton ; but in egg-blowing, as in many other things, more 

 depends on the workman than on the tools. We had rather 

 trust a chipping egg to the manipulation of a certain well- 

 known, though young, ornithologist with his pin and penknife, 

 than to many others with a whole armoury of instruments. We 



