EXCHANGE PRICE LIST 11 
The first thing to do is to lay aside each set of eggs separately on a cloth or 
layer of cotton batting, something that will prevent them from rolling; then 
procure a basin of water, a tumbler filled with water and the blowpipes and 
drills we have before mentioned; sit down at a low table or on a door step or 
some similar place, so as to bring the basin above the object you sit upon. 
We will commence now with the preparation of the set of Blue Bird’s eggs. 
Picking up one of the specimens, look it over carefully to see if there are any 
stains or any foreign matter on it which cannot be removed, and if there is, that 
is -the side we will blow it on. First pierce the shell with a fine pointed pin or 
needle, then select the smallest of the blow pipes, which should be No. 0, care- 
fully insert the point of the drill in the hole left by the needle, and holding the 
egg between the thumb and finger of the left hand, with the larger end away 
from you, and the second finger under the smaller end of the egg slowly twiri 
the drill back and forth with the thumb and finger of the right hand, gradually 
enlarging the oriface until you have drilled clear into the egg. If you have the 
right kind of a drill the rear end of the burr part of the drill will cut the lining 
as it enters the egg. If it does not do this, it will be necessary to draw the 
drill back until the rear of the burr comes in contact with the inner surface of 
the shell at the hole made by the drill. A few more twirls will then cut the 
lining. Then withdraw the drill, turn the egg over, still holding it between the 
thumb and finger of the left hand, take a small blow pipe and hold the point 
of the same near the oriface of the egg, turning the egg upside down over the 
basin of water. Then blow throw the blow pipe and the air will gradually enter 
the egg and force the contents out of the same hole. 
After the entire contents of the egg has been blown out in this way, then 
take some water in the mouth from the tumbler of water standing nearby and 
blow the water through the blow pipe into the egg. Do this with some force, 
but not enough to destroy the egg shell. After the egg has been blown full of 
water, then blow the water out of the egg. Repeat this two or three times un- 
til the contents of the egg is thoroughly cleansed out, for any foreign matter of 
any kind or any of the contents of the egg that may be left in will surely stain 
the shell and ultimately destroy the specimen. 
After this has been done and you are sure that the contents of the egg is 
entirely out and the inner surface of the shell thoroughly cleansed, then lay 
the egg upside down with the hole resting on a small piece of blotting paper. 
This should be clean and not ink stained, 
Continue the same process with each one of: the eggs in this set, laying 
them side by side on the blotter when the blowing is completed. They should 
be left in this position until they are thoroughly dry, and all the other eggs 
taken should be drilled and blown in exactly the same manner, using care to see 
to it that the sets do not become mixed, and that each different set is kept 
separately until marked. 
If the eggs are not thoroughly cleansed, their taking and preparation will be 
to no purpose, for they will finally become spotted and ultimately disintegrate. 
It is always important to use the smallest drill possible on each egg. 
The above is the proceeding for blowing all eggs which are fresh. It makes 
no difference whether they are the size of a goose egg or the size of a Humming- 
bird’s egg. The same proceeding is followed from beginning to end. 
Assuming now that all of the eggs we took on the day before above mentioned 
have been blown and arranged on the blotter as directed, and have been left 
there long enough to become thoroughly dry, the next thing is to mark them. 
The marking of specimens is one of the very important steps in their prepara- 
tion. Care should be taken to mark each set neatly, legibly and according to 
the system used by Oologists They should be marked with a soft, pointed lead, 
pencil unless you are a high class expert with India Ink like E. J. Court at 
Washington and a few others of his kind, who are very rare indeed; but if you 
are then you may assay the use of India ink. 
The set of Bluebird’s eggs should be marked as follows: Above the blow 
hole on the larger end of the egg and near the blow hole should be placed neat- 
ly the figures 766, which is the number of the Bluebird in the American Orni- 
thologist’s Union (“A.O.U.”) Check List of North American birds. To the 
