Chapter III 
EGG-COLLECTING AND ITS OBJECT 
A COLLECTION of eggs, to be of any real value, must be formed 
according to some prearranged method and for some definite pur- 
pose—not haphazard, with merely the idea of accumulating a great 
quantity of eggs. The amateur collector is generally without any 
notes, such as where found or the number in nest ; in fact, he is 
apt to have nothing but somewhat uncertain names of eggs ob- 
tained by exchange or purchased from some dealer—secured in 
any way so that the number be great. What, may I ask, has ever 
been gained from such a collection? And after the craze has 
lasted a year or two, the whole thing is put aside and forgotten, 
to be destroyed by neglect. 
The object of a collection is to show not only the individual 
egg, but how conditions affect eggs of a given species in different 
parts of the country. Thus it is of the utmost importance that it 
should be known where the eggs were procured ; the date should 
be given, so that it may be possible to find out whether in differ- 
ent places the nesting season varies, and, if so, how great is the 
variation. The catalogue should contain exact information on these 
points, together with notes relating to the nest ; whether placed 
on the ground, or in bushes or trees, etc. 
All notes should be made on the spot and not from memory. 
A small pocketbook should be carried for that purpose, and these 
notes ought finally to be arranged in a larger book, either in chrono- 
logical order or under the name of each bird ; the latter is proba- 
bly the better way as it is easier to refer to and needs no index. 
Be careful that all information is accurate. Anything taken from 
hearsay should be marked as such. In most cases it is better to 
have nothing but notes made from personal observation. 
As I have said before, birds, though governed by certain rules, 
do occasionally change or modify their habits ; so that notes on 
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