JuiR' 1888.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



87 



Set Marks on Eggs. 



liV ,T. 1'. N. 



The siibjoct of set marks on egi^s would ap- 

 pear to be very simple, wliich could readily 

 be understood by the average colleetor, and 

 yet sueh is by no means the case, as experience 

 has taught the writer tliat very few oC those 

 who take eggs understand how lo properly 

 mark them for the cabinet. 



'I'he whole object of set marks is, of course, 

 to prevent difl'erent sets of eggs ot ttie same 

 species from becoming mixetl together, and also 

 to serve as a reference from a particular set to 

 a certain data. Unless they accomplish these 

 two things they are a delusion and a snare, 

 and worse than useless. 



It has been deemed tit, therefore, to give a 

 few plain directions as to the proper manner of 

 making set nnirks. And lirst, let it be under- 

 stood that a set mark, if correctly made, is al- 

 ways in the shape ot a fraction ; of w hich tlie 

 nunu'rator is the set mark proper, and thf ih'- 

 niimindlor expresses the number iif e(/ijs in the 

 set. Thus 1-4 signifies that '■ 1 " is the set 

 mark, and "4 "is the number of eggs in the 

 set. The second set of the same species found 

 by the collector would he marked 2-4 (or if it 

 contained five eggs, 2-5), the third, 3-4, etc. 

 'I'he denominator is made with each set to rep- 

 resent the number of eggs in the set. 



Nundiers are preferable to letters Cor set 

 marks, as the latter may be mistaken for sub- 

 species. Tims the number of the Chipping 

 SpaiTOW {Spizella domestica), in the old Kidg- 

 way nomenclature is 211, while the number of 

 the Westei-n Chipping Sparrow (Spizella domes- 

 tieu arixoniv), in the same nomenclature is 211 a. 

 and a set of eggs of ,S'. domesliea, marked 211 a 

 4, might jjossibly be confounded with those ol 

 its western brother, S. dinnexlini (irizomv. 



The set mark on the eggs nuist be n'peated 

 verbatim on the data. Many collectors mark 

 the fraction set mark properly on I In- eggs, but 

 omit the denominator on the data. Tills is a 

 mistalce and may lead to confusion. 



It is always well to mark all eggs with the 

 niimtiers of the species, either in Kidgivay's old 

 nomenclature, or that of the A. O. U. This 

 numbei' is to be an addition to the set mark, and 

 |)receding it. The best |)lace td piil all pencil 

 marks is under the blow-hole. 



Use a soft |)eucil in marking all snnill eggs. 

 (A. W. Faber's " HBHI5" is the best kind). 

 Larger eggs than those of the (row will re- 

 (|uire a harder pencil, however. If the shell is 



greasy or diflicult to mark, a little finely pow- 

 dered chalk rubbed over the place where the 

 mark is di!sired, will make the operation much 

 easier. 



In drilling the bole lo blow the egg. .always 

 select the least handsome side, in the ease of 

 thosi' th.it have specks or spots. This will i)ut 

 the hole and the set mark on the side which it is 

 desirable to place downwards when the egg is 

 finally i)laced in the cabinet. 



Finally, small but 'K.s-JtHC/ lignresare nnicb to 

 be commended, but never let the desire for neat, 

 ness cause the collector to mark lh<' eggs so 

 that they cannot be easily read. 



A Delicate Position. 



BY W. IIOXIK. 



In my young and fiisky days, I was a school 

 teacher in the noitheastern corner of Massachu- 

 setts. I was an ardent ornithologist, and car- 

 ried my gun to and from school in sections, 

 concealed in long jiockets inside my coat. 



One s]iring I was invited to read a paper be- 

 fore the Essex County Teachers' Association, 

 and Just as I had finished a laborious essay 

 and was thinking that I sboubl h.ave to make 

 jjretty good time to catch tli(' train for Pea- 

 body in time to deliver it, my mother came 

 rushing in to annomiee that a flock of Teal had 

 settled just above the water fence, and were 

 in easy shot from " Sandy" point. 



I clutched my gun and was oil' in a twink- 

 ling, but being in too niueh cjf a hurry no 

 doubt, the birds Hushed and went ofl up the 

 river to " Hony." Totally oblivious of all else, 

 I fdlbiwed them and bagged two. The rest 

 Hew over the hills, and while I was creep- 

 ing for a shot, my train slowed u|) at the 

 " Know-nothing station," close by. I tired, 

 picked up one more bird, ran f(u- the ears, anil, 

 of course, got left. 



So all 1 had to do was to try and make the 

 twenty nnles between me and my expectant 

 audieiu'e in tlinc liuurs and a half on foot. 

 .\way I went behind tlie last rcci'iling tr.ain. 

 SoMiew bcie dow n beyond Ipswirli. 1 killed two 

 .Snipe, and loaded up the gun again, as I 

 double-ipiicked it to make up for lost time. 



When I got among the houses on the out- 

 skirts of Peabody, I stored my gun away in the 

 inside |iockets, and walkeil into the Hall just in 

 time to hear my name announced as the reader 

 of llic> next paper. As I monntx-d the platform, 

 the gun barrels — still loaded, remember — 



