DESTEUCTION AND PROTECTION OF OUK BIRDS. 19 



important to secure series of sets — which means hundreds and thou- 

 sands of eggs — and wherein you also learn the market price of this 

 or that egg, and value your specimens accordingly — just as you do 

 your postage stamps. This is not science, and the men wlio advocate 

 this sort of collecting and who have the largest collections of eggs 

 rarely contribute anything to our knowledge of birds and are not 

 advancing the science of ornithology. 



If you must have a collection, a few sets of eggs (often a single 

 set) of each species of bird will answer all your purposes. There is 

 nothing to be gained by the collecting of a series, except the extermina- 

 tion of the birds, which is surely not your object. 



On the other hand, there is a vast amount of bird work that you can 

 do to help the science of ornithology and gain a reputation for yourself. 



There are hundreds of facts regarding the distribution of birds, 

 their habits, etc., which are still unknown, and 3^ou should make it 

 your aim to become an authority on the birds of your region, and keep 

 records of all your observations as to migration, habits, abundance, 

 etc. You will find ample opportunity for work, as every year will 

 bring to light new facts, and the more you contribute to our knowledge 

 of the birds the more you will see what an insignificant matter the 

 formation of an egg collection is in comparison with real ornithology. 



In the case of birds, it is justifiable to shoot specimens which are 

 new to you for purposes of identiiication, but you should make the 

 best use of the bird hefoi'e you kill it, so that it will not be necessary 

 to shoot more of the same kind in order to tell what they are. Your 

 aim should be to learn to recognize birds at sight and by their notes, 

 and you will find you will learn more of value by a study of the living 

 bird than by collecting skins. 



The exact knowledge that we now possess of the coloration, etc., of 

 North American birds and the large collections available for study 

 in the museums render it entirely unnecessary for every bird student 

 to form a collection. Those who undertake any special line of study 

 will soon learn what specimens are required and collect accordingly, 

 instead of amassing a large number of specimens with no particular 

 object in view. 



These suggestions are not made with a fault finding or sentimental 

 feeling, but in a friendly spirit for the purpose of counteracting the 

 effect of the advice of egg dealers and traders, who seem bent upon 

 developing our budding students into "eggers" instead of ornithol- 

 ogists. 



