THE OOLOGICAL OUTLOOK. 

 An Editorial Review of Conditions and a Forecast for 1920. 



The "splendid isolation" of the collector of birds' eggs is passing, along with 

 national prejudices, exterritoriality, protection and discriminative tariffs. The collector 

 can no longer do as he pleases, for the world pleases to know what he is doing; and he, 

 in turn, is pleased, or should be, to knew what his fellows are doing. While it is true 

 that no official clearing-house of oological information and exchange has yet been 

 established, it is also true that any fairly competent collector may discern the signs 

 of the times, and any student of affairs, however humble, may see how general conditions 

 are bound to react upon the science which we hold in regard. The writer hopes he may 

 be pardoned, then, for the presumptuous task of descanting upon world conditions; and 

 he promises to take refuge in imposing generalizations whenever (in common with 

 all other workers in this unorganized held) he may find himself lacking in precise 

 knowledge. The clearing-house report of the transactions in Oology for the year 

 1919, will never be written. It is a purely hypothetical book. But such a report 

 may appear, say, for the year 1929. In the meantime we will test the air and try 

 to map out some of the main currents. 



The year 1918 has been characterized by an extraordinary revival of interest in 

 collecting and in all matters oological. Collecting togs have been overhauled, the dust 

 has been wiped off cabinet drawers, exchange lists have been drawn up; and, last 

 but not least, beautiful promises have been made for the new year. The more 

 ambitious of us are already a dozen times in debt to our friends, and the air is sur- 

 charged with expectation. What does it mean? 



Well, it means for one thing that the hope has been raised that we may be 

 justified in taking our hobby more seriously. New claims have been advanced about 

 the importance ot oological study, and we are eager to test them out. If this is not 

 a false alarm, if we no longer have to conceal or dissemble and apologize for this 

 strange "malady" which overpowers us season by season, then are we the happiest of 

 mortals. We will away to the woods and lay in ammunition for this fascinating game 

 which a few of the standard bearers dare call science. 



But the most obvious occasion for this revival of interest in "birds' eggs" is 

 the release of energies set free by the armistice. The fellows who got in late and 

 were only waked up by the fight want to see the world while they are at it; and so 

 they are going to invade Africa and Amazonia and the Arctic North in quest of 

 whatever offers. Those who, more involved, want to forget the horrors of war, 

 seek solace in the things of nature, or bury themselves in the absorbing pursuit of 

 their hobby. Those who were cheated of indulgence for cruel years, are going to 

 make up for lost time. And who shall say that those who did their bit and then did 

 it over again, have not earned the right henceforth to a perpetual springtime? This 

 is as it should be; and thank God for something more fascinating than chess, more 

 active than tennis, and more worth while than golf, or a dozen other mockers of the 

 dial. The year 1919 was a great year, and 1920 will be a greater, for collectors. 



The year 1919 witnessed the dawn of Internationalism in birds' eggs, as in every- 

 thing else. Internationalism is having a slow birth, and the American midwives are 

 trying to drug it with old methods or to frighten it back into the womb of time. 

 But International Confidence is a lusty child, and the very midwives will boast to 

 their children's children that they officially welcomed it. For henceforth men are 

 going to think increasingly in terms of the whole. The meaning of life, as of society, 

 will be found in the whole and not in the parts. We are going to find each other 

 the world over, and get together. In particular the Anglo-American rapprochement, 

 or call it reunion, is for me, the most heartening thing in the collecting world. I 

 wouldn't take a fortune for what I already know of the capacity and courtesy and 

 likability of correspondents in England and Scotland and Ireland (yes, Ireland!), and 

 India and Australia. Here is solid meat, and if it took the crucible of war to make 

 us find each other again, why, then, thank God for war. 



And a brighter hope tinges my faith — that the zeal of a common passion shall 

 fuse still more reluctant people into a common metal; for it is the cunningly com- 

 pounded alloy which gives forth the sweetest tones. Grandidier, van Pelt Lechner, 

 Fernandes, Dabbene, Kuroda — we need such "sweeteners" as they to make the ideal 

 fellowship. Whatever the treaty tinkers make out, we know that Science, like- 

 Religion, or like Nature herself, is supernational and superracial. 



A fourth element of hopeful significance in the present prognosis is the achieve- 

 ment of conservation. We say "achievement" advisedly, although the word strictly 

 relates to America and England alone; for we are conceited enough to believe that 

 whatever is really achieved there is potentially achieved elsewhere. The conserva- 



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