METHODS HERETOFORE IN USE. 57 



is a highly desirable item ; it may be abbreviated 

 thus : '3, 6, 72' means Jmie 3, 1872. It is well to 

 have the egg authenticated by the collector's initials 

 at least. Since 'sets' of eggs may be broken up for 

 distribution to other cabinets, yet permanent indicar- 

 tion of the size of the clutch be wanted, it is well to 

 have some method. A good one is to write the 

 number of the clutch on each egg composing it, giv- 

 ing each egg of the set, moreover, its individual 

 number. Supposing, for example, the clutch No. 

 ^f i contained ^ve eggs, one of them would be He 

 5-1 ; the next ^|f 5-2, and so on. But it must be 

 remembered that all such arbitrary memoranda must 

 be systematic, and be accompanied by a key." 



Another invention in labelling was announced by 

 Mr. W. H. Ballon, in a communication to the Amer- 

 ican Naturalist, vol. xii, 1878, page 30G, of which 

 I quote the substance : 



"Having occasion during the past year to make an 

 arrangement of the collection of oology m a certain 

 Academ}^ of Science in the west, my attention was 

 more than ever drawn to the absolute necessity' of 

 having a different system of labelling from the one 

 I employed there, especially in so large a museum, 

 where duplicate eggs are stored away by the thou- 

 sand with no distinction whatever. Soon after ob- 

 tainino- additions to my own collection of eggs, some 



