marked "Supplements," also bound in 

 with the March number, is an unpaged 

 "First-annual Report of the Am. Oolog- 

 ical Society," occupying a single page. 

 5 ill. 



Vol. Ill, Nos. 1-12, Mar., 1877-Feb., 



1878, pp. 102, incl. 2 pp. index, (pp. 17- 

 18 (Apr.) and 83-S4 (Dec.) "Supple- 

 ments," and p. 62 erroneously mark- 

 ed "52.") 8 ill. 



The Oologist: | A Monthly Journal 

 devoted to the Study of Birds and their 

 Eggs. |— | Edited by S. L. WILLARD. 

 |— | VOLUME IV. I (woodcut of an 

 egg) | UTICA, N. Y.: | Published at 

 No. 27 Oneida street. Med. 8 vo. 



Vol. IV, Nos. 1-12, Mar., 1878-Sum- 

 mer, 1879, pp. iv-100+1 col. pi., (tem- 

 porary suspension following the July 

 issue until January, due to insufficient 

 financial support ) covers, 6 ill. 



THE OOLOGIST. | A Monthly Jour- 

 nal | DEVOTED TO THE STUDY OF 

 BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 

 |—| Edited by JOS. M. WADE, S. L. 

 WILLARD. |—| VOLUME V. | (cut of 

 egg) | ROCKVILLE, CONN.: [PUB- 

 LISHED BY JOS. M. WADE. Med. 

 8 vo 



Vol. V, Nos. 1-12, July, 1879-Feb., 

 1881, pp. iv-96 (suspended after Nov., 



1879, until Aug., 1880, Oct.-Nov. num- 

 bers bound under one cover.) 3 ill. 



This is the pioneer amateur oologi- 

 cal periodical of America. S. L. Wil- 

 lard, a typical American boy of about 

 sixteen years, after conducting an orni- 

 thological department in "The Reper- 

 tory," a western amateur paper, be- 

 came convinced of the need of a serial 

 devoted to birds and their eggs, and 

 without help, no money and little ex- 

 perience, engaged the services of an 

 unemployed printer, and began the 

 publication of this little paper. The 

 first two issues were not only typo- 

 graphical failures, printed with coarse 

 type on thin paper with scant margin 

 and the headings all set up in type, but 

 the subject matter trite and of too 

 manifold nature, needless to state it 

 received severe criticism, and the dis- 

 couraged editor at a loss to pay the 

 printer, withdrew the publication. 

 However, several inquiries for sample 

 copies from surprisingly remote local- 

 ities and one or two press notices, 

 awakened a fresh determination to 

 proceed For the third number, he 

 invested in a bit of engravers' box- 

 wood and carved a heading, at the 



same time he added a small font of 

 type, sufficient to compose a single 

 page, and negotiated with a boy friend 

 to print it on his press, one page at a 

 time. F'ive numbers were issued in 

 this way during spare hours from 

 school, when his friend having dispos- 

 ed of his press, it became necessary to 

 do the printing elsewhere. From his 

 plans, a local blacksmith built a press 

 with a capacity of just one page, on 

 which the next four numbers were 

 printed. 



It must be remembered that tl.e edi- 

 tor was under the necessity of com- 

 posing the bulk of the reading matter, 

 particularly in the early volumes be- 

 fore the paper had many contributors. 

 Beside writing under his own name, 

 he published his own compositions in 

 the form of essays for the editorial 

 pages, Under the non de plume of 

 "Ovum" he published a series of pap- 

 ers entitled "Birds' Nests and Eggs," 

 which ran for three years, having for 

 its inspiration a similar series by J. 

 A. Whitley in "Amateur Age." Con- 

 siderable also appeared over the name 

 of "Avis." Over fifty woodcuts during 

 the series, most of them wholly the 

 work of this enthusiast (except a few 

 bearing the signature of S. Pryor, 

 sculptor) very crude work of course 

 but showing great industry. Volume 

 II, and most of volume III were printed 

 on a large amateur press he had pur- 

 chased, and the balance up to the first 

 four numbers of volume V, on a better 

 and larger press which he also used 

 for job printing. Beginning with the 

 fourth volume, the periodical attained 

 to the dignity of a cover and an en- 

 graved design which is best described 

 in the words of the proud engraver: 

 "In the foreground, across the lower 

 corner of the cover, appear three eggs 

 strung upon a straw. A pair of Hawks 

 have chosen a delightful position for 

 their nest in the tree near the shore 

 of the lake; the motherly Duck has 

 nested early and is leading her little 

 family into the reeds; the Egrit and 

 Sandpipers are indespensible adjuncts 

 to pleasure upon water; the Ruffed 

 Grouse are both drumming; the Bubo 

 virginianus knows very little about 

 any Snowy Owl; a bird of prey, prob- 

 ably an Eagle, appears just over the 

 horizon, a number of graceful Swal- 

 lows skim through the air, and the 

 Downy Woodpecker has found some- 



—21— 



