88 COLLECTING AND PRESERVING BIRDS' EGGS. 



ticulars of the nest and eggs should be given. A printed label 

 similar to the following diagram is also necessary : 



No. Name. ... 



Collected by 



Locality 



Date 



Set Identity Incubation 



Nest 



For illustration, the blank lines of the label should be filled in 

 the following manner: No., 126. Name, Arkansas Flycatcher. 

 Collected by J. L. Clemmons. Locality, San Diego, California 

 Date, June 2, 1881. Set, ^ (indicating that the number of eggs 

 in this set is four). Identity, bird seen on nest Incubation, be- 

 gun. Nest m-ade of coarse sticks and twigs, lined with hair and 

 cotton, placed in an "Australian Gum Tree, "twenty feet from the 

 ground. 



All these data should be carefully written, and the label placed 

 in the cabinet with the eggs. If there are several sets of the same 

 species, the collector should have his own number to distinguish 

 the sets. 



The label with full data should ahvays accompany the set in 

 making exchanges. Besides the above particulars the note-book 

 shoiild be filled with memoranda devoted to the record of nests 

 found and examined ; the general nature of the surroundings ; the 

 precise color and condition of the eggs when found, as all these 

 fade quickly from the memory. 



Few persons make extensive collections of nests ; many birds 

 make no nests, others only such structures as cannot well be pre- 

 served ; those that can be collected require a wrapping of thread 

 for their safe keeping. Nests and nesting-places, are therefore, as 

 a rule, described and recorded in a note-book and not kept for 

 study. 



