THE OOLOGIST. 



137 



If an exchange (prospective) is con- 

 sidered by letter; then each sends the 

 other a list of eggs. This list is (almost 

 invariably I am sorry to say) stuffed, 

 so to speak, with high priced eggs or 

 skins, which the exchangers do not 

 possess. After the exchange is effected 

 each of the parties to the deal, ten to 

 one, are in the possession of specimens 

 of skins or eggs which ai'e'out of sight,' 

 in the eyes of their latest pos&essors, and 

 each feels sure that he has the best of 

 the other. 



The next exchange, in which one of 

 these fortunate (?) collectors tries to 

 exchange his specimens to a knowing 

 oologist, results in a fiasco, owing to 

 the fact that the knowing one knows 

 what's what. Then follow letters of 

 recrimination, or that is, in boy's talk, 

 sass, and the ultimate result, that both 

 of the last exchangers think the other 

 a swindle, and a snide. I have had this 

 tried on me an hundred times. Ever} 7 

 collector knows what it means well 

 enough. And it will be tried again 

 1,000,000 times among the collectors 

 of the United States in years to come. 



Then there are the whiners who are 

 always the ones who complain to the 

 receiver of damaged eggs, that the 

 specimens sent, were in good condition 

 when sent, and who really sent the eggs 

 in a paste-board box. They wonder 

 why the eggs could not go 1,000 miles 

 safely by mail in a paste-board box. 

 They kick and stew until a good col- 

 lector will send them something tokeep 

 them quiet. 



Then there is the postal card fiend, 

 who sends postal cards indiscriminately 

 all over the United States and Canada 

 for price lists. Ten to one he has not a 

 cent, and in nine cases out of ten be is 

 a beginner, with everything to gain 

 and nothing to lose — including reputa- 

 tion. He writes to everyone, and 

 wants eggs, skins, shells, insects, corals, 

 reptiles, etc. He has no money and no 

 specimens to exchange, and will write 



perhaps six months, twice a week, and 

 never show up a cent, or anything else, 

 but conceit and back talk. No one 

 ever knew him to enclose a stamp for 

 reply, or to do as he agreed. Perhaps 

 he is not at fault, and probably too 

 young to know better — but I advise all 

 sensible collectors to let him alone. 



Next follows the young chap who 

 sponges his paper and envelope of his 

 sister or mother, and two to one places 

 the stamp in the left hand corner. It 

 is not best to answer his letters either, 

 unless he encloses a stamp for reply, 

 and then only to say NO, to his question 

 of exchange. 



The boy or girl, man or woman, who 

 shows his or her own independence and 

 therefore individuality as a business 

 person, by writing on proper paper, 

 according to sex and pei'son, and talk- 

 ing on paper like a business person, 

 will command respect. Provided that 

 a stamp is inclosed, an answer is assur- 

 ed. But the boy or man who writes 

 like a baby-boy, and with no more style 

 or individuality than is possessed by 

 little school-girls of ten years, cannot 

 expect to succeed. I have letters that 

 are from boys of twelve or so, which 

 are models of business system. Then 

 again letters come to me from grown 

 men, that are the indicative of the 

 slouch and non-progressive class 



My aim is to stimulate you to improve- 

 ment and to cause you to attempt a 

 hip her plane. In order to do this you 

 must not remain simply oologist alone. 

 Do not think that you have the world by 

 the coat tails because you have more eggs 

 or species than your chum. Oology is 

 only the beginning, or at least one 

 notch above stamp collecting. No one 

 needs to be above it. There is much 

 to learn in it as in all other things but 

 you must not get into the rut of think- 

 ing that it is alone, and pre-emjnent. 

 But with oology or any other science, 

 there is a good opportunity to inform 

 one's self, and as well be upright among 



