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 trek 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; 



