of the species and the set mark and the date on a small square of stout tissue and drop it 

 into the bottom of the nest. This is the "tell-tale," and you will live to bless the day 

 when you established the habit of writing tell-tales, for the outside markings of the nest 

 will wear off or tear off or bleach out — you'll never know how. Then take a generous 

 square of soft tissue paper and make (with instant dexterity) a ball, or half-sphere, of 

 waste cotton, leaving the tissue on the outside— this to stuff into the nesting hollow 

 with as little disturbance of the nest lining as possible. This is the most important 

 operation in nest collecting- -and the easiest, although there is a knack to it. One 

 compresses just enough cotton into the ball so that when released against the tissue 

 paper, inside the nest, it will exert a gentle, firm pressure against all the sides. This 

 will preserve through amazing vicissitudes the essential character of the nest, for it 

 will give it resiliency, or resisting power, under the wrappings, and at the same time 

 preserve its form. If it is inconvenient to insert this ball into the nest while it is in situ, 

 wait till it is brought down; but if you do not insert it, cover the nest temporarily with a 

 sheet of paper or with a handkerchief, so that any succeeding cutting or sawing opera- 

 tions may not leave unwelcome debris in the nest hollow.. 



Having tilled or covered the nest, you are prepared to cut it down. Here is where 

 art and gumption come in. Don't tear the nest loose from its setting. Preserve it in 



An Overcrowded Arrangement 



its setting. To do this, the supporting branch, or stem, if not too large or too slightly 

 connected with the nest, must be sawed free. Of course you cannot preserve the 

 branches which rear themselves, it may be for many feet, above the nest. Snip them 

 off at a point an inch or so above the brim of the nest. Preserve as far as possible the 

 character of the immediate setting. If leaves overshadow the nest, cut them away, or 

 twist them sharply to one side. A clear view of the eggs is usually a paramount con- 

 sideration in the cabinet. But save enough leaves on the side limbs or supporting 

 branches -to tell the story. Cut away entangling vines, or foundation twigs of exces- 

 sive length; but save just as much as possible of everything the bird put in or on or 

 under that nest. 



Now we are ready for the wrapping, and this operation is second in importance 

 only to the stuffing. Place the nest, with the under support cut away to within an inch 

 or two of the nest foundation proper, on a generous square of tissue paper. Draw the 

 sides of the paper up snugly, but not enough to disarrange or break the protruding 

 twigs. If the nest is a large one, "tack" this first sheet with a wrapping" of string. Then 

 with another sheet of tissue on top, reverse the process, i. e., drawing the edges of the 

 sheet downward to meet under the bottom. Now wrap the whole generously, securely, 

 but not too tightly with string. Now mark the package plainly with a soft pencil or a 



Page twenty-seven 



