'72 



THE OOLOGIST. 



makes no difference to them whethei* it 

 be daj"^ or night. It is the hunters par- 

 adise. Bears are few, although several 

 have been killed thei'e in the last few 

 years. Deer are more- common, while 

 wild-cats, raccoons, foxes, oppossums 

 and squirrels abound in numbei's. 



The specimens' Avhich [I value most, 

 however, are the skins of three fine 

 Ivory-billed Woodpeckers. I saw eight 

 of the birds and also saw one of them 

 leave a hole, high up in a hickory tree 

 — How I wanted to get up there ! But 

 it was utterly impossible. 



As we traveled on, during the third 

 day the trees became smaller— under- 

 brush began to appear, and we Avere 

 through the hammock, but that day we 

 came upon a sour orange grove and it 

 was a beautiful sight, as the trees were 

 full of the Avhite, wax-like flowers with 

 the previous crop of golden fruit, which 

 does not fall still upon the branches. 



Leaving this Ave came to the open 

 country and at once obtained quantities 

 of smaller game — rabbits, quail etc., 

 and soon came upon a large plantation 

 the OAvner of Avhich entertained us Avith 

 stories of adveutui*es with Avild animals 

 and with the Seminole Indians Avho 

 once inhaWtated those parts. These we 

 took Avith a grain of salt and next morn- 

 ing started for home, this time prefer- 

 ing to go around the hammock instead 

 of through. 



If any of the readers of this ever have 

 the chance, by all means make the 

 trip. 



R. B.; Whitehead, 

 WesttiGld, N. J. 



A True Naturalist. 



There are Oologists of many descript- 

 ions, some collect for the money there 

 is in it, .some to outdo their friends and 

 again there is the true lover of nature, 

 Avho is ])rying into the secret lockers of 

 Dame Nature in seai'ch of ncAv truths, 



and in their pursuit he finds the study 

 of Oology a great assistance. 



I haA'e a ACi'y poor opinion of a man's 

 morals Avho Avill collect birds eggs for 

 the money there is in it. 



Such a man cannot give us true de- 

 scriptions of the birds, their habits and 

 surroundings. His aims are selfish and 

 sordid. His preceptions are blunted 

 and the beauties of nature effect him 

 onlj' in regard to their ■ market A'alue. 

 JTot so with the enthusiast, the true 

 loA-er of nature. Ask him what he sees 

 in taking long tramps through the 

 country in rain and snoAv in the winter 

 and in the torrid heat of summer, often 

 returning empty-handed. Ask him 

 Avhy he does this, and he Avill say I 

 knoAv not, a voice seems to be calling 

 me away to the forests, I haA^e no 

 choice but to go. I seem to enter into 

 a ncAV life. The forests are no longer 

 lonely, but the birds are singing hymns 

 of praise, the old oaks are Avhispering 

 their secrets to the south Avind, and all 

 nature animate and inanimate seem to 

 be uniting in praise to its Maker. 



Oh! that all naturalists had that finer 

 preception that they might see into the 

 seci'ets of nature. We would be nobler, 

 truer men, Avhat a bond of brotherhood 

 there is between naturalists, Avhat con- 

 fidence they place ohe in another. I 

 have often been asked when making an 

 exchange. What do you knoAV about 

 that felloAv ? Why do you send him 

 those Aaluable specimens? What guar- 

 antee have you that he Avill return 

 value for value? I smile and say, that 

 man is a naturalist, he and I belong to 

 the same brotherhood. He will not 

 cheat me, how do I know this? I know 

 that a man Avho can read the pages of 

 the l)ook Nature has laid before him, 

 gains good habits and good thoughts, 

 and I knoAV a true naturali.st is a true 

 man. 



I have corrosponded with a number 

 of naturalists for several years. I do not 



