THE OOLOGIST. 



Ill 



Notes from St. Thomas, Ontario- 



A few (la3's previous to the 23(1 F ol)- 

 ruary this yeai- beiug very mild and 

 spring like, I thought a trip down creek, 

 would not be amiss, to see if any of the 

 early birds had been tempted by the 

 weather. 



On the above mentioned date, as 

 agreed, my friend, Mr. Orville Foster, 

 called for me alwut 6:30 a.m., and we 

 started otT for the day. The first sign 

 of bird life we observed, was a flock of 

 five Red headed Ducks, from which my 

 friend shot one, and wounded another, 

 which he was unable to obtain, on ac- 

 count of the creek being full of ice. A 

 Winchester being my onlj' Aveapon, the 

 ducks passed safely by me. 



I append a list below of the birds seen 

 during the day. There is one ))ird, 

 however, that deserves paiticular no- 

 tice, and that is a specimen of tiie Great- 

 er Yellowlegs, Avhich was shot by a boy, 

 who was some distance ahead of us. As 

 a rule this l)ird never appears until 

 about the 15th of April. Another bird 

 ahead of time, was the Bronzed Grackle, 

 ■v> two of tliem being ol)serve(l. 



Bald Eagle, 1; Red-tail Hawk, 1; 

 Wood Duck, 1; Red-headed Duck, 5; 

 Am. ]\Ierganser,2-, Pied-billed- Grehe, 1; 

 Kingtisher,-!; Greater Yellowlegs, ]; 

 Quail, 2ij; Meadow' Larli, 3; Robin, 1; 

 Crow, 2; Blue Jay, 20; Bronzed Grackle, 

 2; Snow FJake, 50; Flicknjr, 5; Red-head- 

 ed Woodpecker, 1; Downy VVood-^jeck- 

 er, 1 ; Redpoll, 20; Browi>- Greeper, 1; 

 txolden-ci'gwned Kingh^t, 1; Black-ca])- 

 ped Chickadee, 10; Ked-l)rt'asted Nut- 

 hatch, 1; White-ltreasled Nutiiatcii, 10; 

 Song 8|)arn)\v 3; Junco, 20. 



F, L. Fajjlky. 



Prepare Your Specimens "Well 



Many young collectors when Ix'gin- 

 ing to collect eggs,esi)ecially if the eggs 

 ard of a eomnum variet3', l)low tlieni 

 hurrietlly, making a large hole in thi' 



side, and sometimes chipping the eggs, 

 — these are good enough to exchange, 

 they think, but they expect good speci- 

 mens in return. Other collectors will 

 send out incubated eggs as "tirst-class." 

 They can be incubated and first-class — 

 if they are blown properly, but the ma- 

 jority of collectors don't take the time 

 to empty the contents out of a small 

 hole. If your time should be so occu- 

 pied that you cannot bother wilh blow- 

 ing them in this way, don't semi them 

 away as lirst-cia.ss specimens but des- 

 cribe them as the}' are and, should the 

 party care for them, its not so bad — he 

 knows what to expect and is not disap- 

 pointed. 



Not long ago two local collectors 

 were looking through my collection 

 and made a remark that the .specimens 

 were neatl^y prepared. I then sliowed 

 them fi few sets that I keep in a sepa- 

 rate case, that were received from a few 

 well-known collectors. One set came 

 from a 'would be dealer'. I asked them 

 what they thought of that set — one said 

 "the holes arc largei- than the eggs," 

 the other remarked "the birds in them 

 must have been old enough- to fly." If 

 the eggs are very much advanced in in- 

 cubation, I would advise the young 

 (x'tlogist to let them hatch. They will 

 do the birds more good than you- 



I agree with Rev. Peabody as to his 

 rule adopted (see November Oologist) 

 when collectors send you eggs, not first 

 class, they should pay for the return 

 postage for a second-class set in a nice 

 collection of eggs, s])oils the efl'ect of 

 the whole thing to my eye. 



In ))ird skins it is also well to take 

 enough time and make a nice job. Bet- 

 ter have a few line specimens than 

 many ])oor ones, so wake uj) during 

 season of '92 and prepare your speci- 

 mens correctly, then, when you send 

 them out as "lirstcla.ss" you will have 

 a clear consciene(^ for as the Dutchman 

 says, "A clear conscience vas more as 

 worthy jjis a barrel of succeed." 



' Clvdk L. Kki.l.ah, 



• ' Salem, Oi'cjion. 



