THE OOLOGIST. 
AOL. XXVII. No. 4. ALBION, N. Y. APRIL 15, 1910. WHOLE No. 2738 
Published Monthly, by R. M. Barnes, Albion, N. Y., and Lacon, Illinois. 
SOME ADVICE 
As the result of more than thirty years experience in North American 
Oology extending through boyhood, youth and middle age, and at the risk of 
being somewhat criticised therefor, we desire to suggest the following to the 
oologists on our subscription list for their guidance at least in part during the 
season of 1910, which is just opening, 
A collection of eggs should represent not merely an accumulation of speci- 
mens, but more than all else, it should reflect the methods, habits and character 
of the collector and the associations connected with its taking as well as tne 
scientific knowledge acquired in forming it. 
Too little attention has been paid for many years to the preparation of 
specimens, and too much-attention to the accumulation of a large amount of 
material without regard to.its preparation. It is far better to take few speci- 
mens and prepare them neatly, accompanying them with full notes of the ob- 
servations made at the time, rather than to gather a large amount of hetero- 
geneous material in unscientific ways. Too little attention has been paid in the 
past to the study and observation of our common species, and too much atten- 
tion to gathering large series of their skins, nests and eggs. It is far better 
to take a half dozen sets with nests and full data and observations of any one 
of the more rare species than to accumulate large series of our more common 
species. And it is much better to take a few well prepared sets of the more 
common species and splendidly made skins, accompanied with scientifically 
correct data and information with relation thereto than to collect specimens by 
the basket full. 
There is no market for birds eggs; the exchange demand for the common 
species is long since over-supplied, both for eggs and skins. We would sug- 
gest particularly to the younger oologists to take no specimens of birds eggs 
for exchange purposes except those that are rare; for if you do, you will find 
you have a lot of useless material and have causelessly sacrificed many of the 
common birds. 
The Editor. 
