76 



THE OOLOGIST. 



to say the least, one is surprised to hear, 

 from the tliroat of one bird, an imitation of 

 most of the denizens of the forest. 



C. Alger Hawes. 



The Influence of Selfishness on 

 Oology. 



BY W. H. BALLOU. 



"DROBABLY one of the most remarkable 

 obstacles with which oological progress 

 has to contend, is the selfishness of its dev- 

 otees. Not the wealth of Croesus, not the 

 wisdom of Solomon, nor even the logic of 

 Aristotle, can convince your average oo log- 

 ical friend that your eggs are genuine, that 

 they were collected in specified localities, 

 that it is possible that the nests from which 

 they were taken could exist on such a class 

 of trees, at such a height from the ground, 

 or in fact could be in a tree at all. It is 

 in consideration of these facts and others 

 still worse, which will shortly be brought 

 to notice, that an endeavor will be made to 

 show Avhy oology is below par and recog- 

 nized as a distant science. 



The astronomer that discovers an aster- 

 oid or comet, announces Avith a telegram 

 that is far too slow, the news that sets in 

 commotion the scientific world. The geolo- 

 gist, after a wearisome search, that involves 

 extraordinary labor in dangerous lands 

 and fatal exposure of health, opens to view 

 fossiliferous remains that give to the ar- 

 chaeologist and paleontologist a missing link 

 in the history of the past. Reference might 

 be made to the explorer, to the botanist, and 

 to other specialists, who eagei'ly place be- 

 fore the world the results of years of toil 

 and research. Yet how difficult to obtain 

 from the modern oologist the information 

 that ought to be imparted in the interests 

 of science at the earliest opportunity ! — in- 

 formation that would assist to establish the 

 particulars and features of the oviposition 

 of birds. So and so has found such a nest 

 with so many eggs, one of the few discov- 

 eries of the kind known. If he should tell 



how and where he made the discovery, 

 someone else might injure his honors by a 

 like circumstance. It is even difficult to 

 learn of a collector with whom he made his 

 exchanges and procured certain eggs. It 

 would result of course, in the inquirers 

 making similar exchanges. The stern ne- 

 cessity of putting down such depressing 

 practices is seen at once. No other science 

 Is so demoralized ; no other .science has so 

 many skeptics ; nor does any science have 

 so many obstacles to overcome. The time 

 has come to assume dignity and position. 

 The time has now arrived to band together, 

 to concentrate action, to lay aside jealous- 

 ies, and in short to make known every iota 

 of knowledge that will be of benefit to oth- 

 ers. It is a fact, most deplorable indeed, 

 that while in other sciences vast volumes of 

 works are being compiled, involving tre- 

 mendous capital over minute facts even, 

 oology stands without a representative 

 work in the literature of our country. The 

 fact is, oology is below par. A letter from 

 a prominent scientist emphasizes the state- 

 ment that at its present state of existence, 

 the term oology is not only superfluous, but 

 utterly objectionable. The assertion must 

 remain a fact until this branch, as it is call- 

 ed, is pushed forward by bold minds to an 

 unquestionable basis, and to a position of 

 equality with its cotemporaries. 



The study of the structure of the rot;k in 

 which a fossil is found is termed geology ; 

 but of the fossil itself, paleontology. When 

 the egg is shown, to be a golden one, per- 

 haps its critics may be led to say : the stud- 

 y of the bird that laid the egg, is called or- 

 nithology, but of the egg itself, oology. In 

 spite of all that may appear ludicrous in the 

 figure, it is necessary to attain that stand- 

 point. The only road to it is by the way 

 of honesty, the calling of eggs by their 

 right names, the abolition of skepticism, 

 and a promptness in calling the attention of 

 the public to all developed facts. 



Induce your oological friends to sub- 

 scribe, and thus enlarge our scope. 



