14 



THE OOLOGIST 



quite near the top, which was also in 

 an old crow's nest. It contained four 

 fresh eggs and this tree was about 

 275 feet distant from the first nest. 

 I took this set. 



Thought very likely these birds 

 would nest again, so I made another 

 trip there about May 19th, and on 

 this occasion I found the nest in a 

 maple, twenty-five feet up, and quite 

 near where the first nest was (would 

 say about 150 feet). This time it 

 contained five slightly incubated eggs, 

 but I did not disturb the nest. 



On June 23d, a mutual friend, Mr. 

 Charles Pelton, and myself, visited the 

 nest for the main purpose of photo- 

 graphing the young birds. There were 

 five in the nest and no two alike in 

 size. We found it would be rather 

 difficult to get a picture of them in 

 the nest, so did not try to snap them 

 this time. But on the following Sun- 

 day, June 30th, we went there again 

 and took the birds down from the 

 nest, set them on an old dead branch 

 of a tree, and snapped a few plates 

 on them. But there were only three 

 and we could not find the other two 

 that were mising; very evidently the 

 two largest ones had left the nest. 

 J. T. Stierle, Marshfield, Wis. 



Set Marks 



Marking and blowing eggs is an ac- 

 complishment that very few have at- 

 tained which is termed the highest 

 point of proficiency. 



The first example of the kind that 

 has come under my observation, is the 

 work of Mr. Freganza of Salt Lake 

 City. His eggs are marked with great 

 care, blown with small holes and 

 dates, models of neatness and perfec- 

 tion. 



We cannot all be Freganzas, but 

 with a little more patience and the 

 proper kind of tools, eggs can be 

 prepared that will be a pleasure and 



delight to look upon. Cut-the-lining 

 drills are the proper kind to use. They 

 not only make a clean hole, but make 

 the holes in a set of uniform size. It 

 always looks suspicious to see part 

 of a set marked in one way and the 

 balance in another. If you commence 

 to mark the A.O.U. number on the 

 small end, finish the set in like man- 

 ner. 



The system of using small pieces of 

 paper for the number and set mark 

 by some is perhaps a good plan for 

 small and fragile eggs, but I much 

 prefer to have each egg marked if 

 possible. 



Don't bore "auger" holes in eggs 

 and mark them "fresh" on data it in- 

 dicated carelessness on the person 

 doing it. Large eggs can be blown 

 with as small holes, if fresh. 



Everybody likes small holes, not 

 "pin points" exactly, but holes that 

 look small and neat. 



E. J. Darlington, Wilmington, Del. 



A Trip to Waynesburg, Pa. 



On November 13, 1914, it was my 

 great privilege to go to Waynesburg, 

 Pa., with the express purpose of visit- 

 ing Sam S. Dickey, whom I had not 

 seen before; but whom I had learned 

 to put confidence in through his let- 

 ters. ' 



Incidentally, Waynesburg, taken as 

 a whole, is the most pleasant and 

 thoroughly enjoyed town I was ever 

 in, and I was never treated more roy- 

 ally by friends or companions in all 



my life than by Sam Dickey. 



Since I stayed at the home of Prof. 

 Dickey, who is not Sam Dickey's 

 father, but Sam himself, I naturally 

 treat him first. Overlooking a broad 

 expanse of country enchanting to a 

 bird student, is a medium sized, long 

 room, which Mr. Dickey, (or Prof. 

 Dickey) calls the "laboratory." On 

 one end wall hangs an oddity which 



