28 



THE OOLOQI8T 



eggs of the European bird average 

 1.60 X 1.29 in size. 



It goes without saying, that I am 

 very proud* of these two sets, and as I 

 am particularly interested in the Birds 

 of Prey, and their nesting habits and 

 eggs, these twin sets, will become 

 "fixtures" in my collection for some 

 time to come. 



In connection with the American sel 

 there are several items worth nothing. 

 It is not the custom of this Owl to 

 nest in an open nest (though in this 

 particular instance the nest was part- 

 ly covered, yet there were dead stubs 

 with unoccupied Flicker holes within 

 few hundred yards). The number of 

 eggs is smaller than the average and 

 the date unusually late. I ato of the 

 opinion, that it is a second set of the 

 season, the first one having been des- 

 troyed somehow. 



The male bird was not to be seen 

 and even the solitary female has prob- 

 ably left the land; as I have not seen 

 her, nor any other Hawk Owls since. 

 E. S. Norman, 

 Ka'lsvala, Man., Can 



HINTS FOR BEGINNERS 



Horace O. Green, Wakefield, Mass. 

 The editor of The Oologist has al- 

 ways been willing to allow space in 

 the magazine for anything connected 

 with the study of birds and I feel 

 tempted to offer a few remarks in re- 

 gard to field work. Since the Biologi- 

 cal Survey has so wisely decided to 

 allow permits for collecting purposes 

 to be issued to sincere students of 

 natural history it is to be expected 

 that many young men may be en- 

 couraged to take up seriously the most 

 fascinating studies in all nature, orni- 

 thology and oology, and it is for these 

 beginners that this article is written. 



So many instructions for field col- 

 lecting have already been published 

 that the novice has little difficulty in 



learning from books most of the im- 

 portant details in collecting and pre- 

 paring birds' skins, nests and eggs, 

 but there are a few little points which 

 seem to be worthy of mention either 

 because they are generally omitted in 

 printed directions or because the ama- 

 teur is not liable to appreciate their 

 value unless they are given special 

 emphasis. Some of them seem so 

 simple that most people would think 

 of them anyway, but it often happens 

 that attention to minor details de- 

 termine whether success or failure 

 shall attend your efforts to add to 

 your cabinet a specimen in perfect 

 condition. 



If the novice is fortunate enough to 

 have among his acquaintances a 

 naturalist who is willing to take him 

 aflield and give him a little practical 

 experience, this is by far the easiest, 

 best and quickest way to require pro- 

 ficiency in the work, but there are 

 many nature students who are not 

 blessed with such an opportunity, and 

 for these a few hints may be helpful. 



As many naturalists have begun 

 their career by collecting eggs we will 

 do well to consider this subject first 

 of all. The best way is to get the eggs 

 when perfectly fresh if possible. If a 

 set is taken as soon as the full quota 

 has been laid they can be blown and 

 rinsed easily through small neat holes 

 and they make perfect specimens, 

 whereas eggs in which incubation has 

 considerably advanced not only re- 

 quire much more work in their prepa- 

 ration, but in some cases, at least, be- 

 come badly nest stained, the color be- 

 comes duller' with a faded appearance, 

 and it is almost impossible to remove 

 the contents without making holes of 

 such a size that they will be frowned 

 upon by many collectors. In order to 

 get the eggs while fresh try to find the 

 nest before the complete set has been 

 laid and then you cati easily estimate 



