41 



THE OOLOGISt 



mens we have from him are referred 

 to as having been taken by these mem- 

 bers of his family. 



In later life he removed into the far 

 Northwest and was for a time con- 

 nected with the U. S. Biological in- 

 vestigations in that territory and be- 

 came very familiar with the rare and 

 unusual birds of that neighborhood, 

 such as Crossbill, Clark's Nutcracker 

 and other similarly rare varieties, 

 specimens of the eggs of which came 

 to us from him. 



It is really a sorrow to see these 

 old-time naturalists dropping out one 

 at a time, and one wonders what 

 youngster now coming up is to take 

 their place. 



We extend our sincere sympathy to 

 Mrs. Preston and the four little chil- 

 dren, and we hope that some oologist 

 who desires to add to his collection 

 will correspond with Mrs. Preston re- 

 lative to acquiring the residue of the 

 specimens still in her possession, and 

 referred to in her letter. These are 

 of the more common varieties, and it 

 is our recollection, include about 

 three hundred varieties. 



R. M. Barnes. 



"The Oldest Reader." 



On page 5 of the January number 

 I notice that one by the name of Ben 

 J. Blincoe has been a reader of the 

 Oologist for eight years. Think I 

 can go Ben one better, as I have read 

 and reread every page of the Oologist 

 since it started as the Young Oologist 

 in May, 1884 — nearly thirty-three 

 years ago. Philip Laurent, 



Philadelphia, Pa. 



The Boy Scouts and The Ooologist. 



It is increa£:ingly evident that the 

 Boy Scout movement is spreading rap- 

 idly over the country, and no move- 

 ment promises better for the future of 

 the younger generation. Every mail 

 brings to THE OOLOGIST a large 

 number of applications for sample 



increasing interest on the part of the 

 Boy Scouts in the study of outdoor 

 natural history. 



The Boy Scout movement is along 

 proper lines, taking the boys as it 

 does, from the crowded cities and the 

 dull country towns and cross roads 

 villages into the open woods and 

 fields, and training them in manly 

 ways and woodcraft. Teaching them 

 to observe as they travel, to consider 

 as they observe and to know what 

 they see. Every hour spent in the 

 woods in this way with a capable 

 Scout Master is, in the judgment of 

 the Editor, of as much value to the 

 boy as an hour spent in the school 

 room. We believe he will learn as 

 much, and we are sure that what he 

 learns will be beneficial to him in 

 future years. 



One great thing lacking in the lives 

 of most people is the knowledge of 

 something out of doors in which they 

 have a lively interest, and of which 

 they have an intimate knowledge. 

 The study of ornithology, mamology, 

 entomology, geology, botany, or in 

 fact any other natural science prose- 

 cuted first hand in a communion with 

 nature and in her own great outdoor 

 church, cannot fail to broaden and de- 

 velop and help the student. 



Few, if any, outdoor natural sciences 

 are as attractive as ornithology, re- 

 quiring as it does, physical effort and 

 exercise, an acute woodsmanship, a 

 quick eye and a discerning mentality. 



It will be a pleasure to THE OOLO- 

 GIST to further an interest in orni- 

 thology on the part of the Boy Scouts, 

 and we will gladly give space to such 

 deserving observations and communi- 

 cations as they may see fit to forward 

 for publication. — The Editor. 



"I sent you an extra subscription 

 last year also and hope many more 

 friends of the Oologist will help by 

 doing likewise. Each number of the 

 Oologist when it arrives, I read from 

 beginning to end, ads and all, before 

 I do anything else. I like the stories, 

 notes, etc. coming as I judge from 

 unpaid writers better than I would 

 from the professional paid space fil- 

 lers." 



Roscoe I. Giles. 



