142 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 16-No. 9 



Attention, Oologists! 



If you will kindly drop your blow-pipes and 

 drills and give me your attention for a few 

 moments I would like to make a few remarks 

 upon the manner in wliicli a great many of 

 you prepare your specimens. In the first place 

 there are two species of oologists, although 

 they resemble each other very much when 

 seen with collecting box climbing the tallest 

 trees, or wading in the deepest quagmire; yet 

 their objects are very different. One class of 

 oologists collect entirely for scientific pur- 

 poses, sparing neither time or pains in prepar- 

 ing their specimens and removing the contents 

 through the smallest hole possible, intending 

 them solely for their own cabinets, except a few 

 duplicate sets for exchange for other kinds 

 not found in their locality. The other class 

 are those who collect solely for what dollais 

 and cents they may be able to obtain for their 

 specimens, and they are never very particular 

 how they prepare them; they seem to think 

 that a hole the size of a two-inch auger is 

 plenty small enough for the eggs of Hawks 

 and Owls, and a half-inch hole is just the thing 

 for the Warbler's. They will thrusta big drill 

 into a fine specimen in such a hurry as to 

 crack anil chip the egg, and then with the 

 blow-pipe remove the entire contents with one 

 breath, and yet they expect these same eggs 

 to eventually find their way into the cabinets 

 of careful scientific oologists. Such collect- 

 ing should be discouraged, for tliey not only 

 lack patience and wind to properly prepare 

 specimens, but they are constantly deceiving 

 those who buy them, and yet on their data 

 blanks you will generally find that these same 

 eggs were either fresh or slightly incubated. 



I recently bought an egg of the l!cd-throated 

 Diver, that was recommended as strictly first- 

 class, and on its arrival I found that it would 

 require careful measurement with a good set 

 of calipers to tell which was the larger, the 

 egg or the hole. I also saw, in The Collectorn' 

 Monthly, a set of Golden Eagle's eggs adver- 

 tised for sale as a first-class set, and yet the ad- 

 vertiser was honest enough to say that the eggs 

 were blown with holes about the size <if a 

 dime. 



Two or three years ago I had the pleasure 

 of examining a large collection of eggs 

 owned by Will C. Hrownell of this place, and 

 got by him of Frank H. Lattin of Albion, 

 N. Y. Mr. Brownell exchanged real estate to 

 the value of S2,.5f)0 for them, and I think I 

 can safely say that nine-tenths of them were 



blown through these enormous, unnecessary, 

 large holes. 



Now it is my opinion that one neatly 

 and carefully prepared set of eggs is worth 

 more than a dozen poorly prepared ones to 

 any scientific collector, who intends that his 

 eggs shall remain in his cabinet for an indefi- 

 nite period of time, and in view of these facts 

 I would appeal to all honest collectors and 

 dealers to at once declare all such poorly 

 prepared specimens as fourth class, and good 

 for nothing, or let the size of tlie holes 

 measure their value, and you will find a far 

 better class of eggs collected in the year 1W)2. 



James B. Purdy. 

 Wayne Co., Plymouth, Mich. 



The First Record of McCown's 

 Longspur Breeding in Minnesota. 



I wish to record in the O. & O. the first 

 record of McCown's Longspur (BAj/ncAop/Huies 

 Mcr.owni) breeding in Minnesota. I found my 

 first nest June 5, 1890. It contained three 

 eggs; incubation over half. Had hard work 

 to save them. I sent them to Geoige G. 

 Cantwell to examine at Colorado Springs. 

 He wrote me that he thought there was no 

 doubt but that they were McCown's lyongspur 

 eggs. Not feeling quite satisfied I concluded 

 to wait until another season and make a more 

 thorough study of the bird. 



On May 17, 1891, while on a collecting trip to 

 Lake Benton, Minn., I found it quite common 

 on the high and dry portions of the country. 

 I had the good fortune to collect five more 

 sets of eggs, all nearly fresh. I also shot a 

 number of the birds, both male and female, 

 and preserved their skins. Two pair were 

 owners of nests I had taken. 



Mr. Cantwell says, in his list of Minnesota 

 birds, that the only record of the bird being 

 taken in Minnesota, was by himself in Lac- 

 qui-parle County, May, 1S89. 



Will write up the bird's habits as I observed 

 them, and a description of the nest and eggs 

 sometime in the future. A. D. Ili-ovn. 



Advertising Rates. 

 There seenrs to be a disposition on the part 

 of some who apply to us, to dictate the rates 

 that we are to charge. We have plainly 

 advertised our rates, and wlien we propose to 

 make a change will do so; meantime there is 

 no chance for a misunderstanding if the appli- 

 cant can read plain English. 



