The Oologist. 



VOL. XVIII. NO. 4. 



ALBION. N. Y., APRIL. 1901. 



Whole No. 175 



Who Is An Oologist? 



That is a question often asked with- 

 out being properly answered. The us- 

 ual reply is: "He is an egg collector." 

 In part such an answer is correct, but 

 only in part, and it is not a very just 

 description, for one may be an egg col- 

 lector without being an oologist, and 

 one may even, at this period of camera 

 perfection and enlightened methods of 

 bird study, be an oologist without being 

 an egg collector. 



Hence, it is evident that for the sake 

 of classification, it is not untimely to ask 

 the question: Who is an oologist? And 

 it may be of advantage to consider the 

 subject carefully, with a view of finding 

 a comprehensive answer to the ques- 

 tion. 



Firstly, then, let us inquire whether 

 an egg collector is an oologist and if 

 there is not some further requirement 

 than that of being an egg collector in 

 order that he may correctly be called an 

 "oologist." 



Ornithology is a science and oology is 

 a branch of ornithology, and a science. 

 An oologist is a scientist, for his object 

 in pursuing the investigation of oology 

 is to increase the knowledge of the sub- 

 ject; to add to science, or to add to his 

 own knowledge. In ordei to do this, 

 that he may have specimens for use in 

 studying the various types and varia- 

 tions, colors and patterns, he collects 

 birds' eggs, and he is, perhaps, justified 

 in collecting, for his purpose is a good 

 one. 



But there are persons who collect 

 birds' eggs merely for the whim of col- 

 lecting, after the manner of the small 

 boy who collects tobacco tags, without 

 any higher aim than just to possess a 

 big collection or as a pastime. Are such 



persons "oologists?" Assuredly not, 

 but they are often times honored with 

 the name. They really belong in the 

 same category with the small boy. Then, 

 why should they be called oologists? 

 There is no reason why they should, for 

 they have no claim to the name. 



Further, we will ask: Is an oologist 

 a scientist? Most assuredly so, yet he 

 may not wish to add to science any fur- 

 ther than the increasing of his own in- 

 formation; but that does not wholly bar- 

 him from being a scientist. Of course, 

 he would have a clearer title if he were 

 liberal with the facts he gleans in his 

 investigations and observations. Yet if 

 he is the right kind of oologist, the kind 

 that collects eggs for the purpose of 

 study, he may justly be called a scient- 

 ist. And if he is, shall he not have an 

 exclusive name? That is just the point. 



The name "oologist" is too often mis- 

 applied. It is applied to shield the in- 

 discriminate collecting of the small boy, 

 the wanton collecting of the mere egg 

 collector, and those persons whose only 

 object is to own a collection. 



So it seems well to separate and class- 

 ify egR collectors into three classes for 

 the convenience of reference: 



Oologists, Ist. class. Such persons as 

 collect eggs for the purpose of study, 

 for the increase of knowledge as to the 

 contour, coloration, measurement, var- 

 iation of birds' eggs; the advancement 

 of information respecting the nesting 

 habits of birds, their manner of nest 

 building, the effect of food and special 

 environment up an the color of eggs; the 

 length of time between the depositing 

 of each egg of a set; the resemblance of 

 sets of eggs taken from same pairs of 

 birds in consecutive years; length of in- 

 cubation, and any other facts of value. 



Oologists, 3d class. Such persons as 



