Herr Badeker's and Dr. Brewer's Oological Works. 407 



Sanderling. Spur-winged Goose. 



Grey Plover. Bewick's Swan. 



Great White Heron. American Wigeon. 



Esquimaux Curlew. Steller's Western Duck. 



Brown Snipe. BuiFel-headed Duck. 



Curlew Sandpiper. Sabine's Gull. 



Knot. Bonapartian Gull. 



Buff-breasted Sandpiper. "Cuneate-tailed Gull. 



Little Stint. Ivory Gull. 



Schinz's Sandpiper. Pomerine Skua. 



Pectoral Sandpiper. Capped Petrel. 



Little Crake. Wilson's Petrel. 

 Red-breasted Goose. 



We doubt not there are many gentlemen who are in the full 

 belief that they possess one or more specimens of several of the 

 species named in the above list, and we know it is not without 

 risk of incurring their displeasure that we venture to express our 

 hesitation to agree with them, for in some cases to doubt the 

 authenticity of a collector's specimens is to doubt his word. 

 But we do not assert that such eggs do not exist, or even that we 

 may not have seen them ; still less do we set up our opinions as 

 infallible. All we would do is earnestly to implore those from 

 whom we have the misfortune to differ calmly and dispassion- 

 ately to try and examine for themselves the amount of evidence 

 on which the authenticity of their specimens depends. It is, we 

 allow, no use to require its being of such a nature as would be 

 admitted in a court of justice, though that would be desirable ; 

 but we ask, is it such as ought to carry conviction to a plain - 

 thinking and unbiassed mind ? We fear not. The homely 

 proverb, " Every man thinks his own geese to be swans,'' is not 

 inapplicable on those occasions, for, as soon as a person be- 

 comes the possessor of a supposed much-desired specimen, he 

 becomes also at once and unconsciously a firm believer in its 

 genuineness. However, we hardly dare venture further : the 

 duty of ' Devil's Advocate ' is an ungracious one, but, if it be 

 found necessary to satisfy the public as to the merits of a candi- 

 date for the honours of Saintship, much more is it requisite that 

 the fair fame of a specimen which is to command the respect of 

 Oologists should be as free from suspicion as " Csesar's wife." 



And uo\Y a few words on the best means of remedying these 



