CHAPTER VI. 



COLLECTING AND PRESERVING EGGS. 



No portion of natural history has received more atten- 

 tion than the science of Oology ; yet in very many cases 

 collections of eggs are made in such a careless manner as 

 to render them worthless, except as ornaments, on account 

 of the collector's not paying sufficient attention to identifi- 

 cation and authentication. 



Let identification, then, be the collector's first care ; let 

 him make it a rule never to take an egg or nest until 

 he can surely tell to what species it belongs. The best 

 method of learning the name of the owner of the nest is to 

 shoot her, especially by collectors who have had but little 

 experience in studying birds; while the more practised 

 ornithologist can generally tell at a glance, if the bird is 

 large, what it is. While collecting the eggs of the War- 

 blers and other small birds, the most experienced oologist 

 should never neglect to shoot the bird, even if he has to 

 watch for it a long time. 



Nests and eggs should never be labelled on the author- 

 ity of a person who has found them, and only seen the 

 birds, but who is in a comparative degree unacquainted 

 with them. The nest should be seen in situ, and the bird 

 identified. I have known a great many errors to arise from 

 this source. 



Commence early in spring to look for the nests of the 

 rapacious birds, and continue the search for these and 

 other nests until late in summer. I know of no rule to be 

 followed in finding nests. Search long and diligently in 

 every locality frequented by birds ; and watch them while 



