94 



THE OOLOGIST. 



tiou was too strong on seeing a new nest 

 to be resisted. So, divesting myself of my 

 coat and telling my companion to give me 

 a start, away I went, struggling and work- 

 ing to climb that tree as I never worked 

 before. I had the incentive of the Hawk 

 Avheeling over my head and uttering its shrill 

 cries ; also the bright green hemlock show- 

 ing over the edge of the nest, proving it to 

 be a new one, as well as the probability, if 

 1 did not reach it, some other collector 

 would forestall me and gain the coveted 

 prize. The first limbs were a collection of 

 small ones branching upward, and within 

 about fifteen feet of the large one from which 

 I could see into the nest. T passed the 

 small limbs, thinking to reach the large 

 ones, ?aid then rest more securely. My 

 strength was fast giving out, and as I near- 

 ed the larger limb I reached out my hand 

 to grasp it. At that moment an ovei'pow- 

 eriug numbness overcame me, I tried to 

 fight it off to make one grand effort to reach 

 the limb, but it was too late ; I felt riiyself 

 falling, 1 heard my companion cry for me 

 to hold to the tree, and then I became com- 

 pletely unconscious. When I came to my- 

 self I found that I was caught in the small 

 limbs which I has before despised, and 

 which were now my salvation. My com- 

 panion told me I had lain there for some 

 considerable time, he could not say how 

 long ; it seemed like an hour to him, prob- 

 ably about ten minutes was nearer the cor- 

 rect time, however. Aftei' an ample rest 

 I succeeded to my object, when to my un- 

 utterable disappointment I found the nest 

 was not quite finished. But to the point. 

 I returned shortly after with my irons and 

 climbed the tree, robbed the nest of two 

 eggs, and descended ready and anxious to 

 climb another for the same stake, scarcely 

 at all exhausted or tired from my exertion. 

 And now, reader, when I remember that 

 climb, so nearly fraught with serious con- 

 sequences to myself, and the ease with which 

 the difficulty was afterward surmounted with 

 the aid of my old friends, the irons, do you 

 wonder that I defend them and prevent oth- 

 ers from committing the same error that I 



did, and which might result more disas- 

 trously than did mine? And whilst recog- 

 nizing the value of the many articles the 

 author of the article in question has con- 

 tributed to this publication, I doubt if on 

 this matter of climbing irons, he speaks from 

 experience. The plan of nailing slats on a 

 tree I do not approve, as it requires a great 

 amount of labor and more than a proportion- 

 ate amount of danger, and should be avoid- 

 ed, although some prefer it. In the same 

 article, we are advised where a nest is plain- 

 ed on the end of a limb, to fasten a rope at 

 the intersection of the limb and tree, and 

 the other end around the body under the 

 arms, and creep carefully out to the nest. 

 Now I would not advise this, as, should 

 anything happen, you would get a taste of 

 hanging, and I doubt not but the shock of 

 being caught when the rope becomes taut 

 would be as great, or nearly so, as striking 

 the ground. The better way would be to 

 fasten the rope higher up than the limb on 

 which the nest is placed, high enough, if 

 possible, to have it a little slack, then if 

 anything should happen, there is not so 

 much danger of getting hurt. 



In fact the great desiderata in climing, 

 are a cool head and good judgment, an a- 

 bility to count every obstacle before it is 

 reached, and turn it to the best advantage. 

 While articles on climbing may familiarize 

 us with the instruments used and many use- 

 ful theories, nothing but practice will make 

 a good climber ; nothing but experience can 

 give that nicety of judgment and conscious- 

 ness of our own ability, which enables us 

 to meet all hindrances with familiarity, and 

 which overcomes them or succumbs to them 

 quietly, as the case may be. And there 

 are a thousand and one other little facts 

 which we may imderstand, but cannot im- 

 part to others, and which can only be learn- 

 ed by experience. I regret that my views 

 conflict with those of others, but they are 

 the honest convictions of an extended ex- 

 perience, and I would cheerfully bear any 

 corrections any of my brother ornithologists 

 and collectors may think useful to me or 

 to others. 



