THE HAWKEYE ORNITHOLOGIST AND OOLOGIST. 



cumstances, and sending out such or poorly 

 prepared specimens of any kind stamps one 

 as a slovenly collector. 



A. good time to collect Helices — and in 

 fact any of the land shells — is during and 

 after a warm rain, when they will be found 

 crawling about. The sun will at once drive 

 them to their retreat under logs, etc. 



The Zonites are generally small, fragile, 

 glassy looking shells, although some of the 

 species attain a large size. They are very 

 partial to moisture, and this will have to be 

 the collector's cue. 



[to be continued.] 



CARE OF MINERALS. 



BY W. S. BEEKMAN. 



fHE habit of carefully and closely scru- 

 tinizing what you bring home can 

 not, by any means, be overdone. It is a 

 bad habit to place before yourself a collec- 

 tion of specimens when sitting down for a 

 short investigation. The eye and attention 

 becomes distracted, and the mind rnns from 

 one prominent point of interest to another 

 without becomingj as it should, concentrat- 

 ed upon a given object from which it should 

 not divert until there was nothing about the 

 specimen that has not been seen and com- 

 mented upon. No matter how certain yon 

 feel that there is nothing about the speci- 

 men you have not seen witli your eye just 

 as well as you think you would have with a 

 glass, yon should make it a point, every 

 time, to examine the surface with the aid of 

 a good lens. Making this a constant habit, 

 in the long course of events you will find 

 that yon have acquired a goodly rnimber of 

 valuable points that were derived from that 

 little habit, and without which you would 

 surely feel the loss. 



Having now trimmed and examined our 

 specimen to the best of our ability; the next 



move will be towards' cleaning or improv- 

 ing at points which have suggested them- 

 selves during our examination. 



Water of course is the universal cleanser. 

 But even with this abundant agent, that 

 substance that, "So delicate might lave an 

 infant's cheek without injuring it; so limpid 

 that the finest thread of gossamer might di- 

 vide it and sustain no harm" must be used 

 with caution. There are many minerals 

 that can not even stand a bath. It is not 

 loflg since that I saw a large specimen of 

 pink pearl-spar that I had sold to a party 

 on account of the hairy millerite upon it, 

 lying on its label, prettier than ever, but 

 minus the milllerite. Some of the finer 

 crystalized Aragonites that won't stand even 

 running water can be cleaned by immersing 

 in water for a few moments and then gent- 

 ly swished back and forth in the water. 

 There are others to which the stiff brush 

 and soapy water may be freely applied 

 without injury. One must exercise a little 

 common sense. 



[tc be continued.] 



EDITORIAL. 



In the circular sent out with our first 

 number, we promised to let the support be 

 shown by the magazine; and, owing to the 

 generous support given us by the enterpris- 

 ing ornithologists and oologists of Canada 

 and the United States, we have changed 

 the form of the H. O. and O., which we 

 think will be welcomed and appreciated by 

 its many readers. It will be our earnest 

 endeavor to improve it further and make it 

 one of the leading magazines of its kind. 



A great number of valuable articles are 

 crowded out this month, and others short- 

 ened more than we like to see, on account of 

 a lack of time. 



