THE YOUNG OOLOGIST. 



5 



thus: "Both birds shot," "Bird 

 shot," or, if the identification was 

 effected by seeing the birds only, the 

 fact should be stated thus: "Bird 

 well seen," or "Bird seen," as the 

 case may be. Never neglect to add 

 these memoranda in all cases— even 

 with the commonest eggs — as it adds 

 greatly to their value for scientific 

 purposes. 



Always mark all the eggs in the 

 same nest with the same number. 

 This latter precaution is abso- 

 lutely necessary to keep the nests of 

 eggs distinct — which is very impor- 

 tant, and should be carefully attend- 

 ed to while collecting them. If the 

 egg is difficult to mark, owing to 

 greasiness of the shell, it can be 

 easily marked by rubbing a little 

 finely powdered chalk upon it. 



In marking the eggs use a pen- 

 'Cil, and write the numbers distinct- 

 'ly, but not too large, near the hole 

 by which the contents of the egg 

 have been emptied. 



When the eggs are not well iden- 

 tified, the fact should be stated in 

 the register. 



In collecting many nests of the 

 same species at the same time, it is 

 necessary to mark each nest of eggs 

 with a separate number in lead pen- 

 cil, as they are collected; but the 

 .final marking, with ink, must not 

 be done until the egg is emptied, 

 and is dry. Do not rub out the 

 pencil mark until the one in ink has 

 been substituted. 



How TO Keep an Egg-Register. 

 — An Egg-Register can be best kept 

 •on ordinary foolscap paper, in the 

 following manner: Take a sheet of 

 foolscap paper, and rule a line length- 

 wise, about an inch from the left 

 hand side. This space is for the 

 date when the eggs are collected. 

 Next rule a line half an inch to the 

 right of the former one and parallel 

 with it. This space for the name of 

 the bird. Next rule a line half an 

 inch to the right of the former one. 

 This space is for the number of eggs 



found in the nest, 'and how many 

 were broken in blowing. The re- 

 mainder of the space -left unruled is 

 intended for remar"ks concerning 

 the position of the nest, how identi- 

 fied, materials of which it is com- 

 posed, &c. 



[To be continued.] 



From Rhode Island. 



Spring has begun. Robins, Blue- 

 birds and Blackbirds have returned. 

 The breeding season is at hand. 

 Among the earliest breeders is the 

 Little Screech Owl, which may be 

 seen at dusk hunting for its prey, 

 the field mouse. In this respect it 

 is very beneficial to the farmer. Its 

 near relative, the Horned Owl, may 

 also be found at this time. One of 

 my correspondents has been so for- 

 tunate as to find three nests contain- 

 ing eggs of the latter bird. 



Both of these Owls breed in hol- 

 low trees and old deserted nests, 

 during the early part of March. 



H. A, Talbot. 



Great Horned Owl. 



Mr. Geo. H. Selover, of Lake City, 

 Minn, writes us that on April 1st he 

 found a Great Horned Owl's nest 

 which contained two young owls 

 about three days old. The nest, 

 which was made of large sticks and 

 lined with soft grass, was placed in 

 a birch tree about forty feet from 

 the ground. It measured three feet 

 in diameter and one and one half in 

 depth. Besides the young birds, 

 there were also in the nest the re- 

 mains of a young rabbit and two or 

 three field mice. The male, upon 

 the approach of Mr. S. immediately 

 flew from the neighboring rocks 

 where he had recently alighted, but 

 the female, remaining near the nest, 

 seemed reluctant to leave. Mr. S. 

 also states that the horns or tufts of 

 the parent birds could be plainly 

 seen at a distance of 800 feet. 



