THE NIDIOLOGIST 



of flannel is a good protection. Never use a 

 rough box, and pack loosely. Oil the burrs 

 occasionally, and always when you i)ack away 

 for a year. 



One hears a good deal about collecting boxes, 

 and many collectors are constantly trying new 

 schemes. The old-fashioned way was to use 

 a small tin box, perhaps a spice box received 

 at home. This, filled with cotton and carried 

 in the pocket, was all that was thought neces- 

 sary ; and probably was for Robin's and Spar- 

 row's eggs. But for larger and rarer eggs 

 something more substantial is required. After 

 trying a dozen methods I ado])ted the follow- 

 ing, which I believe is the best of all : 



Purchase a wickerwork trout basket — price, 

 seventy-five cents to two dollars, according to 

 size — and swing over shoulder by a strap. It 

 fits the hip exactly, and is never in the way. 

 In it you may store a lot of loose layer cotton, 

 tin boxes, large and small, filled with cotton. 

 Drills well wrapped, a big lunch, and a long 

 piece of fish line and a woolen sock, for letting 

 eggs out of trees. I have a friend who only 

 collects with a string and sock (!), and he often 

 gets it filled with Hawk's eggs in one day. 



However, it is best to always carry your two 

 extremes in egg drills, and blow all the eggs 

 you can in the field. One always feels better 

 when the eggs are safely blown and securely 

 packed. In many cases, the eggs, when well 

 incubated, should be slightly drilled, probed 

 with a sharp piece of wire, using care, and 

 then shaken well and laid aside for a week. It 

 may be objected to on the ground that the 

 eggs will smell badly. Very well, it is your 

 province to save your eggs after you have taken 

 them from the nest. Before taking eggs you 

 should drill one of them, and ascertain their 

 condition. If incubated beyond all hope, the 

 set should not be further disturbed. However, 

 if you conclude to try to save them, you must 

 not be ujjset by a disagreeable smell. Further- 

 more, a reliable, upright Oologist will not be, 

 and a good-for-nothing " egg hog " will be. 



I have a friend whofrecpiently takes two, and 

 even three, weeks to fully i)repare incubated 

 Hawk's and Owl's eggs. He is a very superior 

 workman, and I have many times seen him 

 make a perfect specimen of an egg which you 

 or I would give up in Jespair. It is ])aticnce 

 that accomplishes the most in the management 

 of "hard set" eggs, and it is worth while for 

 any and all collectors to govern themselves 

 accordingly. 



It is an excellent thing to use fine shot for 

 cleaning out eggs ; but judgment and leisure in 

 the undertaking are important in all cases. In 

 other words, don't shake too hard, and don't 

 get in a hurry. 



Another point : All Oologists should be 

 Ornithologists, and not merely collectors. It 

 is a mistaken notion that simple everyday egg 

 collectors are naturalists. The boy who merely 

 collects for the love of the craze is merely a 

 very common personage. I am sorry to say 

 that there are a good number of them who 

 come in the category of fad collectors, and 

 whose existence is so short that they are for- 

 gotten at once. In fact, they advance so little 

 in the wort of collecting that they fail even to 

 send articles on their favorite subjects to the 

 papers. These men are only egg grabbers, as 

 they would gloat over a collection of stamps 

 or tobacco tags, and leave the pleasure as soon 

 as they cease to find amusement in it, or when 

 something else appears to occupy them. 



The so-called Oologist, who does not know 

 the habits of the bird whose nest he robs, and 

 often even the name of the bird if he is 

 brought in sight of it, is totally unfit to be 

 allowed to collect eggs, or any others of 

 nature's treasures. I feel like arresting every 

 boy who has a lot of incorrectly named eggs, 

 and who will not try to learn when he can. 



A gun is a good thing if in proper hands, 

 but a wretched toy in an ignorant, thoughtless 

 boy's hands. A young collector can learn 

 more by sitting quietly under a tree watching a 

 pair of Vireos, or other birds, construct a nest, 

 than in roaming through the woods and fields 

 robbing all sorts of birds in order to get more 

 of a collection than some other boys. Boys, 

 think of this. 



The whole point in being a true naturalist is 

 in examining into matters for yourself. There 

 is no man or boy \vho cannot add many inter- 

 esting facts in the pursuit of natural history of 

 our land. Study for yourself, and let us hear 

 of your discoveries. 



Kalamazoo, Mich. 



E. G. Elliot, of Bradford Academy, Brad- 

 ford, Mass., writes: " I send you a circular of the 

 Academy with which I have been connected 

 for twenty-five years. The grove that is illus- 

 trated is one of the greatest nesting places of 

 our common birds that I know of in this vi- 

 cinity. I have found nests of the following : 

 Blue Jay, Downy and Golden-w-inged Wood- 

 peckers, Brown Thrasher, Wilson's Thrush, 

 Golden -crowned Thrush, Kingbird, Pewee, 

 Wood Pewee, Leat Flycatcher, Song and Chip- 

 l)ing Sparrows, Red-eyed and Yellow-throat- 

 ed Vireos, Yellow Warbler, Black and White 

 \Varbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Rose-breast- 

 ed (irosbeak. Bluebird, Catbird, Black and Yel- 

 low-billed Cuckoos, Redstart, Baltimore Oriole, 

 and Robins witlK)ut number — in all twenty-six. 



