THE OOLOGIST. 



VJ. 



Wool for making bird's and small 

 mammal skins. 



1 lb. Arsenical Soap (Hard) 



With the addition of a good hunting 

 knife jj of say 7 inch blade for skin- 

 ning large mammals; and killing them 

 too when too closely quartered by such 

 a "varmint" as an old she Bear; an 

 oilstone and oil for sharpening knives 

 and our skin-making outfit is complete 

 enough for all practical purposes 



Such an outfit as I have here describ- 

 ed will, with gun and everything com 

 plete, Aveigh about 40 pounds, a weight 

 which au} T medium sized, healthy man 

 may carry from morn till night without 

 much fatigue. 



A few words in regard to the proper 

 clothing for a cojlector who contemp- 

 lates spending the long wintry nights 

 in camping out and I am through. My 

 outfit consists of good heavy under- 

 clothing of wool, with heavy overshirt 

 and drawers of the same material;- a 

 pair of heavy brown English corduroy 

 pants and vest and a heavy 10 oz. Duck 

 shooting coat with large game pockets. 

 For foot wear I use extra heavy Wool- 

 en Stockings reaching above the knee, 

 and a pair of Land Hunting Shoes, 

 lacing from instep to knee, the legs be- 

 ing made of soft leather and foot of 

 heavy leather, with heavy, well nailed 

 soles. Shoes answering this ndescrip- 

 tion can be bought for about $4.00 of 

 Montgomery, Ward & Co., Chicago, 

 111.. Shoes of this description are in 

 every way a most sprvicable and easy, 

 yet retaining strength and lightness toa 

 remarkable degree. Clothing of above 

 description will stand almost any 

 amount of wear and tear and still come 

 out all right. Such an outfit may cost 

 a right good sum in the beginning, but 

 will well repay the collector who pro- 

 vides himself with one like it. 



The foregoing, from beginning to end, 

 is a faithful description of my outfit as 

 it now lies before me. Willi it I have 

 spent many delightful days roaming 



the mountains of the wildest and most 

 picturesque portion of West Virginia, 

 camping out wherever night overtook, 

 me, preparing my specimens by a roar- 

 ing fire ere I enjoy the soothing pipe. 



After skinning and packing away the- 

 fruits of the days chase, sometimes not 

 till midnight, with what joy do I lie 

 clown on my Blankets and sleep with, 

 nothing but the blue sky and twinkling 

 stars overhead for my canopy; and 

 wheu again Old .Sol peeps over the 

 eastern hills I am up and away on an- 

 other tramp after the ''beasts of the 

 fields and fowls of the air." Only those 

 who roam the hills and mountains and. 

 fields in quest of such secrets as nature 

 can unfold to them can enjoy w hat is to. 

 others hardships innumerable. 



Give me this life among the birds and, 

 beasts aud 1 am happy. 



Tiiad Surbek 

 White Sulphur Springs, W. Va. 



The Golden Swamp Warbler ■ 



This name seems very fitting for this, 

 beautiful warbler of which my eastern 

 readers see a little. Dried skins, re- 

 posing in the cabinet drawer, convey 

 very little, if any, idea of their beauty 

 as when seen in a willow swamp. 

 Never had I realized their beauty, un- 

 til I stood holding one in my hand. 

 Although common here for years back, 

 I never studied them, to any extent, 

 in their haunts, until the last two pre- 

 ceding years. Even now, my knowl-, 

 edge of the Prothouotary is limited and 

 I can only give the results of what few- 

 observations I have made. 



The last few days of April are very- 

 sure to bring a few early arrivals, but 

 the bulk of them arrive in the first or* 

 second week in May. They are shy 

 aud silent, and not at all like they are., 

 two or three weeks hence. 

 You will not find them in the high, dry 

 woods, where the majority of other- 

 warblers are found, but go to the bot- 



