I'HK ()OI-(KiIST. 



33 



every shade of color; smue are tinted 

 with the most delicate colors, and 

 others blotched in a most, coarse riiaa- 

 ner, south spots «Hemed to have been 

 dyed in the shell, xvhile others are mere- 

 ly touched, 50 lightly it appears, that it 

 seems possible to wipe the color off 



The microscope hihI j-hemistry both 

 afford a v\ide Held for tht^ oologist to 

 work in. an<l vet \vn hear ihe complaint 

 that there is Utile nmre to be learned 

 about biids ni- tSeir eggs; to such is my 

 answer — that the eml of ornithological 

 knowledge his not vet been reached, 

 and it will be some time before it is; 

 that there is room for all in this grand 

 science with all its branches, to discover 

 facts both new an(i wonderful, in all 

 the countries of the world, both civilized 

 and uncivilized. 



D. T. KissAM, 

 Brooklyn, N. Y. 



A Timely Criticism. 



At the risk of offending a student 

 much my senior I must take the pen of 

 criticism and wield it pretty freely, 

 trusting to the righteousness of the 

 cause to save the criticism from the 

 waste basket. 



In "A Collecting Trip in the Thous- 

 and Islands" in July, "98, Oologist, a 

 well known student and writer, under 

 the cognomen of "Ficus." makes sever- 

 al statements which deserve handling 

 without gloves. First on this list comes 

 a statement that all hands skining un- 

 til midnight had not saved one-third (J) 

 of the three species of Heron which the 

 party had shot: 



Next the statement that three hun- 

 dred (300) eggs were taken and the con- 

 fession that "in only a very few instan- 

 ces were positive identifications se- 

 cured." 



From the scientific standpoint com- 

 ment on such confessions is quite super- 

 lluous. Calling the at'ention of consci- 



entious students to them merely, is suf- 

 ficient. 



But from a humanitarian standpoint 

 what scathing rebuke can do justice to 

 such a case. While the impressive 

 words of such men as Hornaday and 

 Chapman are still ringing in our ears 

 warning of the awful mtnner in which 

 our birds are being exterminated, wliile 

 students on all hands testify to the de- 

 pleted and exterminated heronies of the 

 southern swamps, once so abundantly 

 peopled, while true sportsmen not pre- 

 tending to be naturalists are binding 

 themselves to restrictive rules of shoot- 

 ing and to measures for the protection 

 and preservation of the animal life of 

 our country, here comes along one 

 marching under the banner of ornitho- 

 logy, clothed in the cloak of science, 

 and publicly gives to the ever increas- 

 ing generation of young students — who 

 are only too easily encouraged in exces- 

 sive collecting— an account which jnight 

 put to the blush the worst confession of 

 sport-hunter, game-hog, plume-hunter, 

 or 'small boy with gun." 



Are we who pretend to learn at na- 

 ture's feet to be behind the mere sports- 

 men in this matter. Can we cry for an 

 enquiry into the decreasing bird life 

 with one face while with the other we 

 condone such articles as the one refer- 

 red to? 



Or has the time not come when 

 prompted by every noble instinct, we 

 must protest with out fear or favor 

 against such confessions from our 

 ranks? 



Yours Sincerely, 



B. S. BOWDISH, 



Jan. 11, '99. Dansville, N. Y. 



