16 



THE OOLOOIST 



§Uccut gwbli cations. 



The American Naturalist contains, be- 

 sides a variety of interesting papers on sci- 

 entific subjects, one by Mr. W. H. Ballon, 

 entitled "•Methods of Labeling in Oolog- 

 ical Collections." In this paper the author 

 employs the opportunity to make a rather 

 depreciatory review of oology as a science, 

 and to express his opinion of its popularity 

 and growth in terms not conducive to the 

 approbation of devotees of the study. We 

 are willing to acknowledge that, as a mat- 

 ter of course, the study of birds' eggs has 

 fewer representatives than, and is not as 

 prominent as many of the other natural sci- 

 ences ; yet we do not desire to be brought 

 too painfully into contact with the fact that 

 '^ the study of the eggs of birds is at pres- 

 ent in a condition deplorable indeed," and 

 this in consequence of deficiency in labeling. 

 Oology is yet a young study, and although 

 the number of persons who follow it, per- 

 haps large in this country, is made up for 

 a great part of collectors who do not regard 

 it in any other light than as an amusement 

 or diversion, in which a promiscuous col- 

 lection of eggs figures conspicuously, yet, 

 notwithstanding these apparent drawbacks, 

 we are happy to remark the increasing in- 

 terest manifested in oology by scientific men, 

 and we dislike to see our favorite branch of 

 study pronounced against too severely, es- 

 pecially by one who is an ardent admirer 

 of it himself. la regard to practical label- 

 ing, Mr. Ballou's article is a very sensible 

 one. He says : " * It has been a subject 

 of much study on the part of myself and un- 

 doubtedly others as to what remedies may 

 be successfully applied to so great an evil 

 as the present labeling system. The prob- 

 lem is not without its difficulties of solution. 

 Many and varied were the experiments 

 tried, which sometimes met with success in 

 part, but on the whole are causes of grave 

 errors. In each experiment some one was 

 sure to so disarrange the eggs as to make 

 it impossible to identify them. A leading 

 difiiculty was also found when the collector 

 possessed one or more sets of the same kind, 



or large quantities of eggs of the same spe- 

 cies, as in the case of water-birds. It is 

 still worse, when each egg or set of eggs of 

 the same kind was obtained on the same 

 day under different circumstances and in 

 diiferent localities. Here there should have 

 been a separate label in each case ; but what 

 collector is there that has been able or dis- 

 posed to furnish one, or if he has done so, 

 who at his death will be able to decipher 

 them ? A catalogue of continued difficulties 

 rises before the collector ; labels pasted, or 

 markings written on the &'^^^ deface por- 

 tions of its natural colorings. Slender 

 shells often crumble in the hand while at- 

 tempting to inscribe a written narrative 

 thereon. Eggs are exchanged, passed into 

 a new collector's hand, who rubs away at 

 the original marking, and deprives it of its 

 natural luster and finish to make way for a 

 new and more extended announcement. 

 * * * 



" Slips of paper are to be prepared in tri- 

 angular form, or at least to have one por- 

 tion tapering to a point. The slips can be 

 cut in sizes varying with the dimensions of 

 the eggs, or the amount of writing intended 

 to be placed upon them. Having made the 

 necessary record, the very tip of the label 

 may be moistened with coaguline and fas- 

 tened to the egg. It should be placed on the 

 border of the drilled hole on the side, so that 

 both may occupy as little space as possible. 

 Almost the entire surface of the egg is now 

 in a condition for examination. The ad- 

 vantages of such a label are seen at once. 

 Both sides may be written upon. They may 

 be used as handles by which to hold the egg 

 for examination, thus saving many eggs 

 from being crushed. They may be made 

 sufficiently large to contain all necessary 

 writing, or small enough to suit the taste. 

 They may l)e taken otFat any time by simp- 

 ly dipping the cemented portion into warm 

 water ; and it is often desirable to do this, 

 especially in exchanges. * 



The Annual Report of the Chicago Acad- 

 emy of Sciences is before us. It shows that 

 science is making great progress in the west. 



