THE HABITS OF OUR BIRDS. 123 
“London Ibis,” to comment, with some impertinence, 
upon the want of good judgment shown in not accepting 
Mr. Audubon’s testimony as positive, and as outweighing 
what seemed contradictory to it. It is a sufficient answer 
to all this, to here add that by not doing as this writer 
now suggests, supposing the case fully made out in favor 
of his views, another mistake was avoided. The egg 
figured and described by Mr. Audubon is, in my judg- 
ment, not that of this bird, but of the Sharp-shinned 
Hawk. My English friend was, therefore, a little fast, 
and his comments are not based upon quite so sure a 
foundation as he supposed. Another time, perhaps, he 
will confine himself to facts within his scope. In assum- 
ing that Audubon was ex necessitate right, he presumed 
beyond his ability to establish. 
If, in the above pages, I have shown, however imper- 
fectly, to all ornithological readers, how easy it is for the 
most careful and best intentioned to make mistakes, to be 
led into errors, to make wrong deductions, and to fail to 
see and to correct previous wrong conclusions ; and if Fa 
espedially, the absolute need there is always of the iot 
thorough identification of the bird to which their eggs be- 
-= long, I shall have done all that I} d ~ Never 
keep in your collection, except as a. curiosity, a an egg Or 
nest which has not been identified. Above all, rics 
guess at its parentage. Never name it without the most 
unquestionable evidence that you are right. While there 
are a few eggs that are unmistakable, there are more that 
you can never be sure of, save by positive Mikai 
of their parentage. 
