Apr. 1890.J 



AND OOLOGIST. 



61 



TIIK 



ORNlTHOLOGlST^t'OOLOGlST 



A .Mdiitbly MafiaziiiP of 



NATURAL HISTORY, 



ESPECIALLY DKVOTKD TO THE STIM)V OF 



THEIR XESTS AND E(i<:S, 



and to the 



INTERESTS OF NATURALISTS. 



I'lider tlic iMlitorial .Maiiajiemeiit of 



FRANK B. WEHSTER, 

 .1. I'ARKEl! XORRIS, 

 FRANK A. BATES, 



Boston, Mass. 



riiihideljiliia, Pa. 



JJostoii, Mass. 



ITBLTSHED AT 



FRANK B. WEBSTER'S 



\ A r r It A L I S T S" S I' P V L Y 1) K V () T, 



Boston, Mass., U. S. A. 



The O. \' O. is mailed each issue to every \kiuI suh- 

 ciiliei-. It vim fail to receive it. notifv us. 



EditoriaL 



"'J'lie fact is, 1 am liandicapped hy .some 

 scieiitilu' (trnitliolojiist." Tlii.s is no iinaoinary 

 (luotatioii, but is from a letter written by a 

 •ientleman who understands liis situation. It 

 is not tlie only instance by any means in wliich 

 we have h.ad our attention called to cases where 

 it was honestly believed that there was a ten- 

 dency on the part of some who set themselves 

 ui) as bein.o- the head centre of all oriiitliolooj- 

 cal wisdom to freeze out any enteri)rise of a 

 '■lesser lioht." We even have known of an 

 instance where a party regretted that lie could 

 ritit wit/idrair a rcciiiiiiui'inhdion, because certain 

 oieat guns did notsmilel A short time since 

 a "ientleman related his experience in soliciting- 

 a friendly word. It was a.s amusing to us as 

 ;ui accouiit we once read of a call upon a 

 lira mall. Now if this is tlie state of affairs it 

 is time that it was ventilated. We hardly be- 

 lieve our American ornitholooists are ready 

 to be nestled, guzzled or bulldozed. We are 

 not personally interested ex,'e])t ui)on general 

 ))riM<iples. 



Wiiat is most wanted just now is a work on 

 American ornitiidldgy. well illustrated with 

 sensible wood cuts and at a piice which will 

 enable all to pn)cure it. a Imok by which birds 

 can be readily idcntilicd. Tlie jioptilarity of 



Cones' Key was in a large measure due to the 

 illustrations. Seldom a day passes in which 

 we are not asked for a book that contains 

 illustrations. We hope that some enterprising 

 publisher will endeavor to meet this want, 

 and we think it would prove a paying invest- 

 ment. 



T^nlike the dying swan whose last note is 

 said to be its sweetest, the Oologists' Excliange 

 expired with an editorial arraignment of our 

 oinitliologists and oologists. It is not to be 

 wondered at, that our naturalists have to con- 

 tend with an ignorant and unjust opposition 

 when publications tiiat pretend to represent 

 them rarely defend, but stand ever ready to 

 slur, and furnish tiie public press with texts 

 for increased tirades. 



We protest against any statement to the 

 effect that ''the method is widely pur.sued by 

 the older ornithologists, to shoot everything 

 that comes in their range, leaving half to rot 

 where they drop because tliey do not care to 

 take the trouble to pick them up." 



Such bosh is a stupid libel, and every true 

 ornithologist will resent it. We don't know 

 how it strikes others but we are tired of such 

 nonsense. 



Less Protection — More Protection. 



The duty on glass eyes is 45 per cent. Every 

 taxidermist pays this tax. Free trade would 

 lower the price jufit that ainotint. 



Bird skins for sale, which means to be 

 parted with either by exchange or trade, are 

 taxed 2-5 per cent. duty. A dealer has to pay 

 this; a private individual may state that they 

 are not for sale, and they are passed free. He 

 then changes his mind and parts with them. 

 Is this tax to prevent the use of foreign birds 

 and protect the industry of using our native 

 birds for manufacturing purposes? Free trade 

 would not he a had reform in tliia instance. 



This great country requires that a duty be 

 placed on birds' eggs under certain conditions 

 (if for sale). This is to protect our native 

 birds in supplying tiie home market. Free 

 trade would not he a terrUile loss. 



Every entomologist who sticks a pin through 

 a i)otato bug, pays tlie government 2.") i^er cent, 

 tax on the pin he uses. 'J'iiis is protection of 

 our insects. Free trade u'^ouhl he a hard one for 

 them. 



yVe are not prejiared to place ourselves on 

 record in favor of a wholesale free trade, but 

 emphatically claim that in the cases we point 

 out. it would be to the interests of our natural- 



