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very greatly increased, as it would put the identity of the 

 species beyond a doubt. Opportunities for collecting eggs 

 and nests of birds will not often fall to the lot of members of 

 the Mercantile Marine, especially as regards land birds. As, 

 however, skins are very much more frequently collected than 

 eggs and nests, the chance of obtaining novelties is propor- 

 tionally greater, and such opportunities of obtaining them 

 as may occur should be made the most of. 



Great circumspection, however, is necessary. For eggs to 

 be of value to the ornithologist, it is necessary to be certain of 

 the species to which they belong. In all cases, therefore, 

 where it may be possible to capture one or both of the parent 

 birds, as well as the eggs, it is strongly recommended to do 

 so. So high a value is placed by modern collectors of eggs 

 on correct identification, that no trouble is considered too 

 great which may be found necessary to ascertain with accuracy 

 the parent birds. 



Mr. Alfred Newton, one of the most zealous collectors of 

 eggs of the day, gives the following advice on this point 

 in a little pamphlet written by him for the Smithsonian Insti- 

 tution of Washington, and subsequently published by him in 

 England* 



" The most satisfactory, and often the simplest, way of 

 identifying the species to which a nest of eggs, when found, 

 belongs, is to obtain one of the parents by shooting, snaring, 

 or trapping. But it sometimes, in practice, happens that this 

 is found to be difficult, from one cause or another, such as 

 the wary instinct of the birds, or the necessities of his position 

 compelling the traveller to lose no time, or the scarcity of the 

 species making him unwilling to destroy the individuals. In 

 any of these cases, there is nothing to be done but to make as 



* " Suggestions for forming Collections of Birds' Eggs, by Alfred Newton, M.A. 

 Published by Edward Newman, 9, Devonshire-street, Bishopsgate, London. 

 Price Cd." This little pamphlet is strongly recommended to all those who are 

 disposed to take a special interest in the subject of which it treats. 



