THE CONDOR 



Vol. X 



Nam(L 



Locality 



Data Satnork 





eral appearance) being dust, insect, and mouse proof, with beautifully smooth slid- 

 ing trays, and every inch of space economized, leaving very little to be desired. 



The next item is probably trays. Except for a number of "freak" shapes 

 there are but two styles of trays, the square and the oblong. I will not try to 

 change any reader's opinion as to the proper shape for trays, but if you haven't 

 tried the square trays, just experiment a little and no argument will be necessary. 



Trays 2%, 3, 4, 6, and 8 inches square will 

 accommodate all sizes of eggs and sets. The 

 two smaller sizes work well if made % inch 

 deep, while the 6 and 8-inch trays should be 

 at least 1/i inches deep, as the large eggs roll 

 about in a shallow tray. The 4-inch tray 

 should be made in two depths so as to conform 

 to either of the other sized trays, as trays of 

 two depths in the same drawer look badly. 



After many trials I went back to cotton as 

 the best material upon which to lay the eggs. 

 Sawdust dyed black gives a beautiful effect to 

 a drawer of eggs and brings out the color 

 values of the eggs in good shape, but it is very 

 dusty, forms an ideal home for many forms of 

 insects, is heavy and easily displaced by an}^ 

 slight jar. Grated cork, plaster paris, and 

 similar substances have all been thoroly tried 

 but have proven uniformly unsatisfactory. 

 Colored cotton of any kind, while rather pleas- 

 ing to the eye upon first glance, destroys the 

 fine shades of color of the eggs, and makes a 

 display rather of cotton than of eggs. A fine 

 grade of white cotton shows the exact shade of each egg, without detracting from 

 it in the least; can be made to hold the eggs nestled securely but lightly, to prevent 

 their rolling; is free from insects, practically 

 without weight, can be handled pleasantly and 

 easily and is eminently the most satisfactory of 

 all materials for this use. 



The question of how to label a set of eggs in a 

 tiny tray, without detracting from the general 

 appearance of the eggs themselves is the one 

 thing which has caused me more sleepless nights 

 than any other phase of this subject. I tried 

 laying tin}^ slips with the name of the species 

 upon the cotton beside the eggs, but they were 

 always crooked or out of place and gave the 

 drawer a decidedly bedraggled appearance. lyittle 

 blocks of wood with the label pasted on and set 

 in front of each tray looked very well, but the 

 weight of the wooden blocks and the large 

 amount of work necessary to complete the labeling caused this to be abandoned. 

 Ivittle labels stuck vertically in front or back of the eggs in the tray produced a re- 

 markable display of labels with no eggs to speak of in sight. After almost despair- 

 ing of ever solving the problem I hit upon the plan of making a three-cornered 



II^IvUSTRATES HOW THJi OBLONG TRAY 

 SHOULD BE LABELED 



TRIANGULAR LABEL FOR THE SQUARE 

 TRAY 



