74 



THE OOLOGIST. 



Having obtained all the information pos- 

 sible regardiiiii' tlu'ir nesting, we return 

 home. 



A curious fact coimected with the nesting 

 of the Purple Gallinule is their building 

 several nests, but making use of only one. 

 Where they have a nest of eggs you will 

 always find one or more fresldy made un- 

 occupied ones. Probably these sham nests 

 are made to detract attention from the one 

 containing the eggs. 



The Gallinules' nests are often despoiled 

 by the Water IVEoccasin, Ancistrodon jnsciv- 

 orus. I have on several occasions witnessed 

 nests in which the eggs had been broken 

 and their contents partaken of by this rep- 

 tile. * 



I was one day attracted by the loud cries 

 of a pair of Gallinules, and from the tone 

 of one of them I concluded it was in dis- 

 tress. Hastening thither, I saw that some- 

 thing had seized one of the birds from off 

 its nest of eggs and was bearing it away 

 through the grass and rushes. I tried my 

 utmost to discover what animal had cap- 

 tured it, but did not succeed, and it is a 

 mystery to me to this day. E. C. W. 



HouMA, La., Feb. 19th, 1887. 



How to Collect. 



The American Woodcock 



The American Woodcock, although not 

 very rare, is seldom met with in this county. 

 Years ago, it is said, this species of game 

 bird was plenty, but the continuous raids of 

 the sportsmen thinned them out. I know 

 of two places where the old birds build 

 their nests and rear two broods each year, 

 but I have been unable to visit them. 



About the latter part of April, '86, I 

 found a nest of the Woodcock; it was 

 placed on the ground, under a small " haw " 

 bu.sh; it was simply a slight depression, 

 about the size of a Robin's nest on the out- 

 side, and an inch deep, lined with leaves. 

 The eggs were four in number, the ground 

 color was buff, covered with blotches, spots, 

 and dots of different shades of brown, but 

 chiefly at the larger end. They measured 

 about 1.40 by 1.20 inches. 



I. W. .Jacobs, 

 Waynesboro, Pa. 



Editor of tlie Oologint : 



Observing that the writers for The 05l- 

 OGiST mostly relate their experience, with- 

 out giving the young collector many points 

 as to how to mUect, owing, possibly to their 

 modesty, and having begun collecting eggs 

 at the early age of ten years, and having 

 had actual experience in the field every 

 season since that time, embracing eleven 

 years. I decided to attempt, in this article 

 to give the beginner an idea of the inodiin 

 operandi, practiced by collectors in this 

 section . 



Of two amateur oologists, I am the 

 younger brother. Possibly more than one 

 reader of The Oologist is cognizant of the 

 fact that some of the laziest collectors con- 

 sider the younger brother a most excellent 

 fellow to "bark" trees, blow an inch em- 

 bryo through a 3-32 inch hole, and perform 

 quite a number of other operations, such as 

 the vivisection of terrapins for the purpose 

 of making certain oological investigations; 

 even if he be unsuccessful, it is "no trouble" 

 to look on." Such expressions as, " It's not 

 high " — standing on the ground and looking 

 up, " Don't comedown now; j'ou are nios' 

 2 'em!" "A back out!" "The tree is 

 sound," "Yes, it will hold you," "The 

 wind {!) is not blowing much," and others 

 of similar import, are just as familiar as 

 the Ten Commandments. Sometimes they 

 are more fiattering, however, and " I'd just 

 ' hug all wretchedness ' to be able to climb 

 like you. " ' ' You are the ' beat'nest ' fellow 

 to go out on limbs " and others of kindred 

 significance, are thrown at him with much 

 suavity, because they are supposed to be 

 like the infallible patent medicine, " pleas- 

 ant to take; " yet there comes a time when 

 all such things as those lose their magnet- 

 ism, and are of no avail, and then it is with 

 decided reluctance, if at all, that the 

 younger brother tussles with the bark with 

 the " pernicious activity " of former days. 



It always gives us a peculiarly tired feel- 

 ing to have boys who cannot climb, tell us 

 that height does not affect them. The 

 writer has found that a great deal depends 



