EXCHANGE PRICE LIST 9 
COLLECTING BIRDS’ EGGS 
What Is Needed—Preparing Specimens 
It is useless, even wanton, to collect eggs of our birds unless with a definite 
purpose. Eggs are absolutely worthless or worse unless properly collected, pre- 
pared, preserved and recorded. To do these things one must be equipped with 
some things, chiefest of which is a settled determination to do whatever is 
done well. 
First of all you will want a note book in which to record your observations. 
Do not rely on memory for anything, the fuller and more complete the notes 
the better. From two to a half dozen egg drills and a blow-pipe or two are 
necessary. Get the “cut the lining” kind of drills of assorted sizes. These with 
the blow-pipes may be had of dealers in such instruments. They should be 
thoroughly cleansed after each using. Some sort of a receptacle, a cigar box 
filled with cotton or something of the kind is necessary to carry eggs in while 
afield and a safe and secure one in which to keep them after coming home. 
A copy of the American Ornithologists List (The A. O. U. List) and either 
“Bailey’s Birds of the Western United States,” or Chapman’s “Birds of Eastern 
North America” will be well nigh indispensable. Likewise Charles K. Reed’s 
“North American Birds Eggs” or Oliver Davies’ “Nests and Eggs of North 
American Birds” will be found of some help. 
Assuming you have some or all of the above let us start out some bright 
spring morning in quest of specimens. The sun is bright and warm; there is a 
slight balmy south wind. Spring is wearing her splendid garb of fresh bright 
green, and her brow is garlanded with bloom of riotous color, while perfume 
floats in the air. With a collector’s box full of cotton slung over our shoulder 
and our note-book in our pocket we start out, full of anticipation and life. 
We know the Woodpeckers nest in holes, and Meadowlarks on the ground 
while Robins in trees and Indigo Buntings in bushes. We are starting a col- 
lection and of course begin with the common varieties. 
Suppose we find a Robin’s nest in an apple tree. Here is what we do, or 
should do. First make absolutely sure it is a Robin—of course we know a 
Robin, but later we may find some nests where we do not know the birds. So 
begin right now to look and be certain of the identity of the owner of the nest. 
Then we climb up and peep into the nest. Only two eggs! An incomplete set 
so we leave them and pass on. 
Next we find a Blue Bird’s nest in an abandoned Woodpecker’s hole in a 
small dead limb of an apple tree. We are first very sure it is a Blue Bird. The 
identity of the bird is ALWAYS first. Then we look into the nest. Five fresh 
eggs! Good! Our first specimen for ‘our collection.” How shall we get them 
out? Our hand is too large to get into the hole. It is not so very far to the 
house and we go back and borrow a saw. Slowly and very carefully we saw the 
small limb off below the nest and lower it to the ground, turn it slightly over and 
take a spoon out of our pocket, and lift out the beatuiful blue eggs one at a 
time. These we roll separately in cotton and place in our cigar box. Then we 
take our note-book out and sit down and enter the following: 
“(1) 766 A-5 or a/5. Nest 7 feet up in an abandoned Woodpecker’s hole in 
dead limb of an apple tree in an orchard. Birds seen, eggs fresh, nest saved. 
Remarks. This nest was on the south side of the tree and the opening was 
toward the southeast. The cavity was 9 inches deep and the opening 2%, inches 
across. Nest typical, of fine grasses, weeds and feathers.” 
Then we replace the note-book in our pocket and place the figure (1) on the 
nest stub, stand it up against the foot of the tree where we can get it when we 
return home, and pass on. 
Next we find a Phoebe’s nest under a bridge across the road, stuck onto 
one of the projecting rocks of the retaining walls. The bird is gone like a flash 
but we know her. The nest contains six eggs, a very unusual number, but they 
show signs of incubation, however we decide to chance it, so carefully remove 
the eggs, and as with the Blue Bird’s eggs, roll each one carefully in cotton 
and place them in our collecting box. Then, after removing the nest and wrap- 
ping it in a newspaper cornu copia and marking it (2), we enter in our note-book; 
