HINTS TO ORNITHOLOGISTS. 



311 



science. Travellers, and now and then a foreigner, 

 come to them, and desire that they will revise, or 

 concoct, or prepare, a work for the press. They 

 comply with the request. But, having little or no 

 knowledge themselves of the real habits of birds, 

 they do not perceive the numberless faults in the 

 pages which they are requested to prepare for the 

 public eye. Hence it is that errors innumerable 

 stare us in the face, when we open books which 

 profess to treat on the nature and the habits of 

 birds. 



What a world we live in ! say I, when I read that 

 turkey-cocks will break all the eggs of the females, 

 for the purpose of protracting their future frolics ; 

 and that another species of bird flies away from the 

 nest, when the egg is hatched, in order to procure 

 food for the young one. 



I tremble for the welfare of ornithology, when I 

 am informed that the ornithologist, nowadays, is 

 not expected to climb lofty trees and precipices, in 

 order to ascertain whether the birds which frequent 

 them are in the habit of fabricating their own nests, 

 or of using a natural cavity. 



We are gravely told it cannot be expected that 

 field ornithologists should risk life and limb, in order 

 to ascertain such points. This is melancholy doctrine, 

 and he who is determined to follow it must be content 

 to remain in ignorance. 



I cannot admit that the mere art of preserving the 

 skin of a bird is sufficient to answer every scientific 

 purpose ; and 1 disagree with him who will not allow 

 X 4? 



