THE OOLOGIST. 



8& 



A good collecting case for an extend- 

 ed trip, collecting water birds eggs 

 from a boat etc., is made as follows: 

 Get a box of light material and suitable 

 size — mine is 17 inches long, 11 wide 

 and 7 deep, made from 3-16 inch mater- 

 ial, corners dovetailed together. Nail 

 the cover on tight, and saw the box 

 in two so that each half shall measure 

 17xllx3| (if your box is the same size 

 as mine). Hinge the two parts together 

 on one of the 17 inch sides so that the 

 •ease will open like a satchel. It may 

 be fastened with small hooks and, if 

 satchel lock cannot be procured, with a 

 tiny hasp and padlock. The ease 

 should be covered with heavy duck can- 

 vass, and this should be treated to sev- 

 eral coats of asphaltam, which renders 

 it nearly waterproof. The interior 

 may be divided up by thin board parti- 

 tions into compartments of size to suit 

 the taste. It is well to have one com- 

 partment specially for carrying climb- 

 ers in, and one or two others may be 

 for other instruments. A case like this 

 will hold a great many eggs. 



Small nets, of at least three sizes will 

 be found of value, one about five inches 

 in diameter, the other two, two and one 

 inches respectively. These should be 

 made with a good stiff wire frame, and 

 the net made of cotton twine. This 

 will be found to be better and to last 

 longer than cloth or mosquito netting. 

 The two smaller nets may be crocheted 

 and the larger one made as follows: 

 Having got the wire frame ready, fasten 

 it up in a convenient place to work on. 

 Cut the twine in lengths about three 

 times as great as you wish the depth of 

 the net to be (for this net should be 

 about twenty four inches). Double 

 these in the middle and loop them onto 

 frame at a distance apart varying 

 according to the size you wish the 

 meshes of your net to be. After having 

 fastened these entirely around the 

 frame you will have the twine hanging 

 in two strands, each place. Separate 



these and tie, forming half meshes. 

 When the first row of knots is complete 

 continue on the second in the same 

 as the first. Continue in this way until 

 the net is nearly as deep as you wish it 

 to be, then narrow rapidly, by tying 

 the succeeding rows of meshes smaller. 

 When the aperture at the bottom be- 

 comes so small that the number of 

 strings become troublesome, tie the 

 knots very tight and clip off one string 

 from each pair, and continue to tie as 

 before. When the number of strings 

 is snfficently reduced these may be tied 

 together and the ends clipped off. 



The wire handle should now be bent 

 in form on an oval hoop. This net is 

 tied to the end of a pole when needed 

 and is useful in scooping the eggs from 

 nests of HaAvks etc., which could not be 

 otherwise reached. The two smaller 

 nets are left with long wire handles and 

 are used in taking the eggs from nests 

 in hollow trees and banks. . 



A hook made of stiff wire, with loop 

 for tying to a pole, is useful in bringing 

 nests on long slender limbs within 

 reach. The collector should always 

 have plenty of twine with him as he will 

 frequently need it very much. 



A climbing strap is of almost as much 

 value as climbing irons, and the collect- 

 or who wishes to take Hawks and Owls 

 eggs should never be without either. 

 A climbing strap should be at least fif- 

 teen feet or more in length, and two 

 inches wide, made of good leather in 

 two parts, buckling together in one 

 place, and fastening with a snap hook 

 and several stout rings at distances of 

 six inches apart, in the other. A good 

 description of a strap will be found in 

 the Mar.— April 1886 number of the 

 Colonist, page 20. A water blower 

 and a case instrument are both indis- 

 pensible to the collectors. These have 

 both been described in former numbers. 

 A good dark lantern will be found of 

 great service at times, both for investi- 

 gating nests in holes, and for use in 



