THE OOLOGIST 



When studeats whose conscientious- 

 ness it would be unjust to lightly ques- 

 tion, indulge in ri^peatsdly collecting not 

 first alone, but second i^nd third layings 

 of birds whose economic value is now 

 becoming known throucjhout the realms 

 of agriculture as well as ornithology, 

 and birds and their nests and eggs are 

 amassed in large series, by an ever in- 

 croe.singiy laTgo number throughout 

 the country, aside fiom the question of 

 consideratiuu of the rights of these 

 weaker fellow creatures, asid i from 

 consideration of the marked decreas- 

 ing ( f numbers of ol j cts of beauty 

 and intere.-t, adding immeasurably to 

 the power of oiij.jyment of nature, and. 

 contributiDg a fdrtile subject for legit- 

 mate, harmlers, acd profitable study, 

 there is furni.-hed to the great, mass of 

 the people as just cau^e for complaint 

 from iin economic standpoint and not 

 alone i^ the tludy uf oinithology im- 

 paired by thy los3 of sui'ject:* but its 

 cause is it jiu\?d irrep irably in the mlud 

 of thou-ands of }e<,ple who hold the 

 pleasure of d^ilv observation of the birds 

 as tiny frieLd-i, vastly above all the ac- 

 cumulated sciotitific knowieds^e of the 

 pa^t. 



If a com je eat student can look at 

 an amassed series of a hur dred speci- 

 mens of some species of a bird, or of a 

 thousand eggs, and can conscientiously 

 feel that the results to true and valu- 

 able knowledge has justified this ter- 

 ribly serious sacrifice, it is my belief 

 that he is above reproa-h. Bat if he 

 lias one stick specimen ia his collection 

 which has yielded rjothiog to knowl- 

 edge, whose sacrifice of life has been 

 in vain, then it appeal s to ms that a 

 careful consideration of the fact must 

 give him regret, ke3n and sincere in 

 proportion as his motives are honest 

 and conscientious. 



When we review the enormous num- 

 ber of specimens in the private col- 

 lections of the country, if we were 

 able to trace all the results they have 



yielded in the way of increase of know- 

 ledge, should we find the sacrifice justi- 

 fied? And this does not touch the mat- 

 ter of the millions of specimens gone 

 to early destruction with never a 

 to contribute to anyihine, through the 

 misguided efforts of over-zealous col- 

 lectors whose ability to obtain, entirely 

 replaced any ability to abstract facts. 



It seems tn me then that whea one is 

 inclined to turn to the pursuit of this 

 study he should earnestly, thoughtfully 

 ask himself the question what bis pos- 

 sible ability justifies ia tie mutter of 

 collHCting. 



If such a student would discip ine 

 himself, first by an apprenticeship in 

 observing and accumulating facts with- 

 <mt the destroying? of life and the en- 

 joyment of it, would not m^ny fall by 

 the wayside, and ■^ould not the jrain be 

 vastly greater and the saorifica greatly 

 Jes? If a man has. served such an ap- 

 pro' ticeship, studying birds by means 

 of camera, opera glasses ai"d the many 

 means whereby their lives are not de- 

 strityed, there has come to him oppor- 

 tunity for the acquirement of more 

 facts and original knowledge than 

 miiiy im;igine, and is not tha" man 

 b Iter fiLted thereby to enter into the 

 serious part which deals with those 

 lives that the true bird lover will vev- 

 erence second only to human life ard 

 will not lightly saci'ifice to the pas-iing 

 desire of the moment or to a mistakea 

 idea of need. 



Finally, when a man has fully deter- 

 mined that he is justified in the pursuit 

 of that high branch of tuo study which 

 occasionally require) the sacrifice of 

 life or happiness, he should u e the ut- 

 most care to assure himself that his 

 methods are such as to guard against 

 ■waste. When one reads of men taking 

 eggs from the nest when far advanced 

 in incubation and then failing to save 

 them with a weak excuse that they are 

 gone beyond all hope he loses all pa- 

 tience. I have taken a set of Red- 



