ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 2 



ber, however, they look best when aiTaiit;eil 

 in a circle, with the smaller ends of 

 the eggs towards the inside. A large clutch 

 like quail or grouse are put close to- 

 gether. 



Eggs that are larger than those of a Mea<low 

 I^ark will not stay in position unless they have 

 small pieces of cotton around each egg to keep 

 it in place. This completely sunoun<ls tlicni, 

 and the cotton does not look b.adly when i)rop- 

 erly arranged, as it forms a sort of nest, as 

 it were. 



Movable strips of wood, half an inch 

 square and the length of the drawer, serve to 

 separate the species, and in front of each 

 different kind a label is put. This contains 

 the number, .scientific and common names, 

 etc., and is printed on white paper, and paste<l 

 on a wooden strip three inches long and half 

 an inch high, beveled at the top to show the 

 label better. 



It will be seen that this method of arrange- 

 ment permits the sets to be shifted from one 

 part of a drawer to an other, or even to 

 another drawer if necessary, with little or no 

 trouble. More important still, it permits the 

 ready transfer of sets to the study table for 

 examination; and finally no room is wasted, 

 for nearly three lunulred sets of Warblers' 

 eggs can be readily kept in one drawer of the 

 size given above; and in a collection now num- 

 bering over four thousand sets this is a great 

 advantage. 



Moreover, new sets can lie [ilaced in their 

 proper positions in series with little trouble, 

 and this allows of the arrangement of series 

 according to the heaviness of the markings of 

 sets, etc. 



In arranging a large series of one species 

 the endeavor is made to place all the sets with 

 the fewest markings at the top of the drawer, 

 next those with the nextheaviest markings, and 

 so on until the sets with the heaviest markings 

 are placed at the bottom of the drawer. These 

 last are generally the handsomest and they 

 are thus placed nearest to anyone examining 

 the drawer. This method presents a gradual 

 shading of color, and produces a fine effect, 

 while it allows all sets having similar charac- 

 teristics of coloration, etc., to be placed to- 

 gether. It one looks at a series arranged in 

 this manner, and then at one arranged imlis- 

 criminately it is wonderful how much better 

 the former appears. 



The collection is arranged according to the 

 Ridgway nomenclature as far as possible, as 

 this was adojited nuuiy years ago. and life 



seemed too short to adopt the "A. O. T^.'' 

 arrangement and turn the colleetiim all 

 around. J. P. N. 



Nesting of the Whip-poor-will. 



While walking through a small oak wood on 

 the 18th of May, 1880, my dog tlu.shed a female 

 Whip-poor-will, which Hew swiftly out of sight. 

 A moment's seaich disclosed the eggs, two in 

 number, which much to my satisfaction were 

 perfectly fresh. They were beautifully marked, 

 one being spotted entirely at one end. 



On the 20th of .luly, I again visited the pl.ace 

 in hopes of finding a second .set, and while 

 walking thiough some bordering scrub-oaks 1 

 again iluslied the bird, which flew very low, 

 carrying something (I could not m.ake out 

 what) between her thighs and very close to 

 her body. After a careful search I found 

 about three-fourths of an egg-shell which was 

 quite moist, proving that the young bird had 

 just left it. I have not the slightest doubt but 

 that it was the young bii d which the mother 

 was carrying off. 



On .luly yist, I was walking near there -nhcn 

 I saw the young Whip-poor-will squatting by 

 the side of a log. I sat down on the log, and 

 on picking up the young one it began to 

 squawk. This brought the old birds around, 

 and putting the young bird a yard or two from 

 me I waited to see what they would do. The 

 female immediately flew to it and commenced 

 pushing it away with her breast, while the 

 male came up and flutteied for several seconds 

 not four feet away from me, its wings making 

 scarcely a sound. He evidently could not 

 make out whether I was ,i stiimj) or not, as he 

 was not at all frightened. 



Last year (I8'.)0), on May 18th, I went to the 

 oak wood and flushed the female fiom two 

 fresh eggs, ily dog, which had put her up, 

 stopped for a moment with his fore feet not a 

 foot from the eggs. My heart went into my 

 mouth as he made a bound foiward; but luck- 

 ily he cleared the eggs. These were about 

 twenty feet from where I found the (uies the 

 year before. J. II. Howies. 



ronttaimaj;", Mass. 



Looking Backward. 



I ought to be a hajipy man for I have realized 

 my youthful aspir.itions. When I was still in 

 petticoats I was seized with a desire to be able 



