ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 6-No. 1. 



printer for it, but arranged to have the sec- 

 ond number issued, and made a favorable 

 financial adjustment in the meantime. 

 Number two was printed in April, and 

 showed the good effect of some of the crit- 

 icisms on the first number, for all that did 

 not come within the meaning of its print- 

 ed heading was omitted. A series of pa- 

 pers was commenced in this issue, entitled 

 ''Birds' Nests and Eggs," which ran through 

 three volumes almost uninterruptedly, de- 

 scribing tlie nests, eggs, and breeding lo- 

 calities of many different species of birds. 

 Number two contained four wood-cuts; two 

 of eggs, an illustration of the articles just 

 mentioned, a humorous one, and a repre- 

 sentation of the Green Heron. 



The first two issues were printed in 

 coarse type upon thin paper, with scarcely 

 any margin, the heading being all 'set up" 

 in type. Neither came up to the expecta- 

 tions of their recipients, and as the means 

 for the continuation of the paper were 

 more that) exhausted, the editor withdrew 

 the periodical from the printer's hands, and 

 concluded that he could neither find the 

 means nor encouragement to continue it. 

 The writer possesses a deal of enthusiasm 

 on oology, and was exceedingly mortified 

 that his journal should be an utter failure; 

 for even from association with the two 

 numbers already published, he felt that 

 uothing else could ever supply its place ; 

 it was a hobby of extraordinary tenacious- 

 ness. Soon after, however, several enquir- 

 ies came for specimen copies, some from 

 surprisingly remote localities, and one or 

 two notices appeared in the papers. These 

 awakened a fresh determination to continue 

 The Oologist, if it was reasonably possi- 

 ble. The writer, therefore, with his limi- 

 ted allowance of pocket-money, purchased 

 a piece of engraver's boxwood, and with 

 what little experience he had acquired dur- 

 ing leisure moments carved out a heading 

 for numl)er three of the paper. [When 

 this somewhat singular heading was after- 

 ward discarded, it was with more reluct- 

 ance than one could readily account for ; 



but it was associated with an experience of 

 which it stood an appropriate and sympath- 

 izing symbol.] By dint of some exertion, 

 he added a small font of type to a dimin- 

 utive printing office he had, sufficient to 

 compose one page of the paper, and hav- 

 ing done that, writing and setting type as 

 he went, he made ready the form, and ne- 

 gotiated with a boy friend to print it on 

 his press, half-a-mile away. This was done 

 one page at a time, imtil, at the expiration 

 of about one month, the May number ap- 

 peared, embellished with four original 

 woodcuts and several engraved minor head- 

 ings. Improvement over the April issue 

 was very manifest ; but with hard work at 

 school, many pains which would otherwise 

 have been taken were neglected. Five 

 numbers were printed in this way during 

 spare hours and on Saturdays, until, by his 

 friend's disposal of the press, it became 

 necessary to do the printing elsewhere. 



The magazine did not make its way read- 

 ily into recognition. It was a losing and 

 consequently discouraging struggle for 

 favor with amateur collectors. It did not 

 begin to defray the expense of its publica- 

 tion, which was very small. But at this 

 stage of its existence, and with a list of a 

 few paid subscribers, it seemed injudicious 

 and unreasonable to relinquish it. Besides, 

 it had already become of siich importance, 

 apparently, as to be frequently quoted by 

 other papers : and this actuated a sense of 

 pride that influenced the wi'iter to continue 

 it. To the end of printing the pages, he 

 planned and had a neighboring blacksmith 

 make him a printing press whose capacity 

 (which determined its expense) should be 

 just that of one page of type, and on it 

 the next four numbers were printed ; when, 

 deeming it necessary to lessen the labor 

 imposed by the rude printing machine, he 

 disposed of it and purchased an "amateur" 

 press of larger dimensions. Volume II 

 and a greater portion of Volume III were 

 printed on this press. At this time, how- 

 ever, the writer found himself somewhat 

 sought for small "jobs" of printing, and 



