82 The Oologists' Record, December i, 1922, 



A jeweller's sheet of cotton-wool is then placed over the string and 

 tucked in at the edges. When the clutches are placed in the 

 squares they are, as it were, slung in a spring hammock, with a 

 wide and uninterrupted air space tmdemeath, and owing to the 

 action of the string each fresh clutch that is added balances the 

 pressure on the other clutches throughout the drawer. It is signi- 

 ficant, too, that no single case of mildew has been reported from a 

 strung drawer, although it has occurred in wool-filled drawers in 

 the same collection. This is undoubtedly due to air circulation 

 below the eggs. 



Of course, much of the success of a system such as this depends 

 upon the ability of the makers to ensure absolute uniformity, but 

 from what we have seen of their work we think there is nothing 

 to fear on this score. They anticipate, moreover, that if the cabinet 

 becomes at all generally adopted, the demand for drawers will 

 enable them to turn out considerable quantities of each size at a 

 time thereby very materially reducing the price. 



THE NUCLEUS OF A COLLECTION OF THE EGGS OF 

 THE FRINGILLIDAE. 



By K. L. S. 



Some time ago I referred to the advantage of specialisation in 

 Oology, as opposed to the accumulation and study of the eggs of 

 many different groups, and having made some progress on the lines 

 indicated, I propose to enumerate the 280 species, comprised in 

 80 genera, now represented in my collection of the eggs of the 

 FringillidcB. 



The late Dr. Nehrkorn, who bequeathed his collection to the 

 Berlin Museum, had eggs of 412 species of this family, but it 

 must be remembered that he was satisfied, in almost every, case, 

 with one single specimen. i ■ >).'->;> ■■ 



When I commenced the collection, about the year 1913, 1 thought 

 to confine it to the Buntings, but I found it difficult to draw a line 

 dividing them off, and also was loth to exclude many other interesting 

 genera. I was early able to secure the large series of the various 

 Japanese Buntings from the • collection of the late Alan Owston, 

 but the major portion of the rest of the collection have reached 

 me direct from the actual collectors in all parts of the world, and 



