18 REPORT OF NEW JEESEY STATE MUSEUM. 



Experience has shown that it is never desirable to introduce foreign 

 birds or animals as they always have an injurious effect upon the 

 native fauna. 



(4) Egg collecting. The State should at all times permit properly 

 accredited persons to collect specimens of birds or nests for scientific 

 purposes. All our knowledge of birds, their value, etc., has been 

 derived from ornithologists who have, of course, been compelled to 

 collect specimens. Unfortunately, however, there has arisen a class 

 of so-called "oologists" who imagine that by amassing a large series 

 of birds' eggs they are advancing science. Science does not counte- 

 nance this sort of collecting and no good conies of it. The continual 

 collecting of eggs has an ultimate effect upon the abundance of a bird 

 and this alone has exterminated the Fish-hawks on Seven Mile 

 Beach where they formerly nested by scores. The leading ornithol- 

 ogists of the country some years ago tried to discourage this practice 

 of excessive egg collecting by issuing a circular, which we cannot do 

 better than reprint. Fortunately the use of the camera in securing 

 a collection of photographs of nests and young is largely supplanting 

 this fad of egg collecting. 



HINTS TO YOUNG BIRD STUDENTS. 



It has always been our experience that young bird students who 

 have just crossed the threshold of ornithology are glad to turn for a 

 word of advice and assistance to their older brethren, who have alread}^ 

 made some progress in the science ; and it has always been a pleasure 

 for us to give such aid. 



In view of these facts we take this opportunity of offering a few 

 words of counsel for the benefit of those who are beginning the study 

 of birds. 



Doubtless every beginner looks upon the formation of a collection 

 as necessarily the first step on the ornithological ladder ; and probably 

 a collection of eggs is preferred to a collection of birds, because the 

 specimens can be prepared much more readily. 



Soon you meet complaints from well meaning persons who object 

 to robbing birds' nests, and you reply that you are collecting for 

 scientific purposes. Very good; science has need of you all, but do 

 you know what scientific ornithology real ornithology is? 



Are you not influenced to some extent at least by "Oological" maga- 

 zines and dealers'"' price-lists of eggs, from which you learn that it is 



