12 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 6-No. 2 



ORNITHOLOSIST aM OCLOeiST. 



A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE .STUDY 

 OF BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



JOS. M. WADE, 

 ,9. L. WILLABD, 



With the co-operation of able Ornithological 

 Writers and Collectors. 



Editor 

 Ass't Editor 



$1.00 per anniiin. lO cents single copy. 



Address 



JOS. 31. WADE, 



Rockville, Conn. 



Preparing Eggs — Some time ago some 

 one inquired for something to prevent in- 

 sects infesting and destroying eggs. Judg 

 ing from our own collection at the time we 

 could not understand how the smallest in- 

 sect could live in a collection of eggs any 

 more than they could in a case of new vials, 

 but since then we have done some exchang- 

 ing with various collectors and have been 

 surprised to see the specimens some other- 

 wise good oologists will send out. Fresh 

 eggs with holes an eighth of an inch in 

 diameter and some even larger. Some have 

 large holes but well cleaned — others have 

 even part of the yolk adhering to the out- 

 side of the shell ; these are the kind in 

 which the insects hold high carnival, and 

 even if they were prevented from gaining 

 an entrance, the eggs turn black and com- 

 mence to decay from the time they are 

 placed in the Cabinet. Another class of 

 collectors will place on the egg with pen 

 and ink the full record of the find ; these 

 eggs for neat collectors are almost ruined, 

 others will place all of a kind in the same 

 box, having no regard for sets ; in this 

 way many valuable sets are lost to sci- 

 ence. Single egg collections are worthless 

 except as articles of curiosity. 



When the find is made, if the collector 

 has time at his disposal, he should fully ob- 

 serve the habits of the birds, enough cer- 

 tainly to identify the species. If this can- 

 not be done, a little bird lime properly 

 used will very soon place the birds in his 

 power for examination ; only as a last re- 

 source would we advise the shooting of the 

 birds. Before the nest is taken, the inter- 



nal measurements should be made, its ma- 

 terial noted as well as the location. We 

 never clean eggs in the field, always reserv- 

 ing them for evening work, when they are 

 carefully drilled with the smallest drill 

 possible ; then with the Ellsworth blower, 

 described by Dr. William Wood, we pro- 

 ceed to remove the contents, when each 

 specimen is placed in a pan of warm water 

 until the set is comj)lete, when they are 

 thoroughly washed inside and out, even 

 the moisture being blown out. A record 

 is then made cm a small slip of pajDer and 

 placed in the Cabinet with the eggs. No 

 mark being made on the shell, the drill 

 hole is also so small, that it is hardly no- 

 ticeable. The Smithsonian and collector's 

 numbers may be put on the shell with a 

 clear soft pencil that can be easily washed 

 off should the eggs change hands, or anew 

 edition of the check list appear. 

 ^->-0-<*-» 



European Sky Larks. — We have receiv- 

 ed an invitation from H. Hales of Ridge- 

 wood, N. J. to visit that place and see a 

 Jarge lot of Sky Larks previous to their 

 being liberated the coming Spring. It 

 appears that "with the assistance of Purser 

 Kinzey of the steamship City of Rich- 

 mond, Mr. Isaac W. England secured 200 

 of these birds in England. Twenty-five 

 died on the passage. The others arrived 

 in New York on the 13th of last Decem- 

 ber. About fifty of the birds escaped 

 from the cage while they were on their 

 way to Mr. England's farm at Kidgewood, 

 N. J. By the 17th of December their 

 number had been reduced to 103. On 

 that day Mr. Hales took charge of 

 them. All were very weak. Over twenty 

 died. The others recovered their strength. 

 They are kept in an apartment twelve feet 

 square, well lighted, warmed, and ventil- 

 ated. The floor is well sanded, and they 

 can have a dust bath whenever they want 

 it. The floor is partly sodded, and they 

 have a new grass plot weekly. 



This subject opens a wide field for the 

 lover of rural pursuits. To what more 



