36 



FIELD ORNITHOLOGY 



circumstances of capture, vernacular name, etc. 12. Scientific name 

 of the bird. This is really the least important item of all, though 

 generally thought to take precedence. But a bird labels itself, so 

 to speak ; and nature's label may be deciphered at any time. In 

 fact, I would enjoin upon the collector not to write out the supposed 

 name of the bird in the field, unless the species is so well known as 

 to be absolutely unquestionable. Proper identification, in any case 

 to which the slightest doubt may attach, can only be made after 

 critical study in the closet with ample facilities for examination 

 and comparison. But it is always well to note on the label the 

 local vernacular name ; for native names, especially un-English 

 ones, may become valuable items of information. The first eight 

 items above, and the twelfth, usually constitute the face or 

 obverse of a label ; the rest are commonly written on the back or 

 reverse side. Labels should be of light cardboard, or very stiff 

 writing paper; they may be dressed attractively, as fancy 

 suggests ; the general items of a large number of specimens are best 

 printed ; the special ones must of course be written. Shape is 

 immaterial. A slip about three inches long and two-thirds of 

 an inch wide will do very well for anything, from a hawk to 

 a humming-bird. Something like the shipping-tag used by 

 merchants is excellent, particularly for larger objects. It seems 

 most natural to attach the string to the left-hand end. The slip 

 should be tied so as to swing just clear of the bird's legs, but not 

 loose enough to dangle several inches, for in that case the labels 

 are continually tangling with each other when the birds are laid 

 away in drawers. The following forms show the face and back of 

 the last label I happened to write before these lines were originally 

 penned; they represent the size and shape that I find most 

 convenient for general purposes ; while the legend illustrates every 

 one of the twelve items above specified. 



3 Explorations in Dakota. Dr. Elliott Coues U.S A " 



1 I 



5 No. 2655. Bnteo borealia (Gm.) V. ; jav. ? 



S Port Randall, Missouri River. 



Oct. 29, 1872. 



23.00 X 53.00 X 17.50. — Eyes yeUowish- gray; bill horn -blue, 

 darker at tip; cere wax -yellow; tai-si dull yellowish ; claws 

 bluish - black. iStomaoh contained portions of a rabbit ; also, a 

 large tapeworm. 



