144 METHODS IN THE ART OF TAXIDERMY. 



must uecessarily be made larger, and the embryo should be extracted 

 a little at a time with an embryo hook or forceps, and cut in pieces 

 with fine, narrow-bladed scissors. If the Q<g<g is valuable fill it with 

 water and set it aside until decomposition makes the embryo more 

 easily to extract. 



After the egg is blown it should be thoroughly rinsed by taking 

 water into the mouth and spurting it through the blow-pipe. 



Some oologists who have weak lungs fasten a piece of small rub- 

 ber hose to a tank of water. The blow-pipe is fastened to the end of 

 the hose and the contents of the &^<g are forced out with water instead 

 of wind. 



Eggs, as a rule, should be kept in sets ; a " set " being those taken 

 from any one nest ; and each one of a set should bear a number refer- 

 ring to a corresponding one in a note-book where full particulars of 

 the nest and eggs should be given. A printed label or data blank sim- 

 ilar to the following diagram is also necessary : 



Collector's No A. O. T'. No 



Nuiiic 



( •ollectcd by 



Locality 



Date. .\ 



Set Iikntitv lueubation 



Nest 



^leasiiivineiits of Eggs 



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

 following manner: Collector's No. 12G, which should be written on 

 each egg of the set. A. O. U. No. 4-17. Name, Arkansas Kingbird 

 Tyraiiuus vcrlicalis Say. Collected by J. L. Clemmons. Locality, 

 San Diego, California. Date, June 2, 1881. Set, Y^^ (indicating that 

 the number of eggs in this set is four). Identity, bird shot. Incuba- 

 tion, begun. Nest, made of coarse sticks and twigs, lined with hair 

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

 ground. Measurements of eggs, .94 x .03, .92 x .63, .95 x .64, .95 x .63 

 inches. Each egg in the set should have the collector's number and, if 

 North American, also that of the American Ornithologists' Union. 

 Check List' written with lead pencil or India ink on the ^%%' AH 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 



1. The Coile of Nomenclature nnd Check-list of North American Birds. Adopted by tlie American Ornith- 

 nloaists' Union. Beini» the report of the Committee of the Union on Classification and Nomenclature. New 

 York, American Ornithologists' Union, 1S86. (L. S. Foster, 35 Pine Street, N. Y.) 



