VALUE OF NOTES ON EGGS. 29 



a neat and firm nest is woven of bits of wool and fine 

 wiry stems of grasses, and lined with the same." 



Now all this interesting and instructive diversity, 

 and hence an extremely important part of the bird's 

 life-history, would have been lost liad not the nests, 

 as well as tlie eggs, been collected and studied. I 

 wish to impress strongly upon all readers the value 

 of close, accurate and repeated notes upon the dwell- 

 ing-houses of the birds. 



But the nests may not always be movable. 



In such unfortunate cases, full mention of the date, 

 position, structure, et coetera, should be carefully 

 jotted down in the field note-book, and perhaps a 

 little sketch made of appearance and position. Such 

 memoranda and sketches will prove of immense value 

 later, when you want to study up the architecture of 

 that species of bird. 



PRESERVATION OF THE NESTS. 



Nests constructed on bushes, or in trees, generally 

 need only slight precautions to insure safe removal 

 and preservation for immediate carriage . They should 

 never l)e torn from their fastenings ; but the branch 

 upon which they rest, or the twigs to which they are 

 attached, ought to be cut off*; for which purpose it 

 will be found convenient to carry, in a belt-sheath, a 



