118 
which any one of those 4,500 data could be 
readily found and consulted, and, after much 
reflection and many experiments, the one de- 
scribed below was adopted. 
On receiving a set of eggs the original data 
is copied on a small printed blank measuring 
1.84x.87 inches. This has the words ‘“ No.” 
(for number of species), ‘‘ Date,” ‘ Collector,” 
“Locality,” ‘““Set Mark,” “Incubation,” ‘No. 
in Set” and “Identity” printed on the upper 
side, with blank spaces left for filling in these 
particulars, while on the back are written the 
name of the species and details as to the nest. 
it has been found that this little blank affords 
ample space for making an exact copy of all 
the information given on ninety-nine data out 
of every hundred, and, by making the writing 
small, it can all be placed on it. This size was 
adopted to allow the blank to be placed in the 
smallest-sized pasteboard tray used in the col- 
lection. 
It having been properly filled out and com- 
pared with the original data, the blank is then 
put in the bottom ‘of the pasteboard tray or 
box selected to hold the set of eggs, underneath 
the strip of flat cotton used for its lining. 
Some one will ask: ‘Why take all this 
trouble?” It is done to prevent any possible 
confusion of sets. Where a collection contains 
many series numbering over a hundred sets of 
one species, it is almost impossible to prevent 
the duplication of set marks, and this might 
lead to confusion; but, where a copy of the 
data is kept in the same tray with the eggs, it 
is impossible. 
The original data are kept in wooden boxes, 
each of which measures twelve inches in 
length, eight and a half inches in width and 
four and a half inches in height. These are 
outside measurements. The boxes are made 
out of wood that is three-eighths of an inch 
thick, and are therefore somewhat smaller in- 
side. They each have a lid with hinges. 
The data are placed in them in an upright 
position—in fact, in just the same manner that 
the cards are arranged in drawers in the ‘‘ card 
catalogue” of a library. This admits of their 
being easily run over until the desired one is 
found, when it can be readily taken out and 
examined. 
NATURE'S REALM. 
All of the same species are kept together, 
and they are arranged according to the Ridg- 
way nomenclature, as the eggs in this collec- 
tion have never been rearranged in compliance 
with the A. O. U. numbers. (Life is too short 
to do that.) Thus all the data for sets of the 
wood thrush come first in box No. 1; ther fol- 
low those of Wilson’s thrush, and so on in reg- 
ular numerical order. 
All of the data for the wood thrush are ar- 
ranged according to the numerical sequence 
of their set marks, thus: I 4, 2-3, 3-4, 4-4, 5-3, 
etc. Occasionally a data will occur where the 
collector has been foolish enough to use letters 
instead of numbers, and these are kept in 
alphabetical order at the end of those having 
numbers for set marks, thus: a-4, b-3, c-4, etc. 
To still further facilitate the finding of any 
particular species, tin strips, cut just the width 
and height of the boxes, are inserted between 
the data at every fifty numbers. Thus there is 
one between 50 and 51, another between 100 
and Iol, etc. 
I claim for this method: (1) The impossi- 
bility of confusion arising trom the mixing of 
sets ; (2) convenience of reference, as a single 
data, or all of one species, can be quickly found 
and taken out of the box for consultation; (3) 
the preservation of the data in perfect condition 
without folding, as the box is wide enough to 
hold the largest, and, if the data be on an ab- 
surdly small piece of paper (as some are), it 
can be either pinned or pasted on a larger 
piece and put among its brethren which are of 
the proper size; (4) economy of space, as I keep 
nearly 4,500 data in three boxes of the size de- 
scribed above, and have plenty of room to 
spare.—“ F. P. NV.” in the Ornithologist. 
THE TURKEY BUZZARD. 
The turkey vulture is deserving of our great- 
est praise and protection, for no other bird ren- 
ders such valuable and immediate service as 
does the buzzard, writes C. E. Please in the 
Collectors’ Monthly. Other birds destroy in- 
sects which may injure our crops, they also de- 
stroy those which do no harm as well as those 
which are a benefit to us, besides charging 
“«toll” from the crop itself. We can live with- 
out gay plumage, we can live without their 
