PROFITABLE EXCHANGES. 83 



ADDING TO THE COLLECTION. 



I am acquainted with one or two collectors, and 

 have heard of others, who, on account of some bodily 

 infirmity, or for some other reason, have never 

 themselves procured any but a trifling part of their 

 property in birds' eggs by their own efforts. It is 

 possible, of course, for such a person to learn much 

 himself, and become of service to the science gener- 

 ally as a critic; but after all, the man who really 

 enjoys his collection, and lays his brother ornitholo- 

 gists under obligation to him for facts, is he who does 

 his own collecting, and can tell you a story of some 

 small adventure with nearly every nest and egg in 

 his cabinet of the birds belonging to his locality. 



While, then, it is hoped that you, my reader, will 

 have such opportunities that you will be able to en- 

 large your collection chiefly by your own field-work, 

 — for therein lies the great delight of having an 

 o&logical cabinet, where each specimen is a me- 

 mento of a happy hour — yet it may be that you 

 will resort more or less frequently to exchanging 

 duplicates with other collectors. 



PROFITABLE EXCHANGES. 



In order to conduct an exchange judiciously, some 

 little judgment and experience are required. 



