CHAPTER VI. 
COLLECTING AND PRESERVING EGGS. 
Ho portion of natural history has received more atten- 
tion than the science of Oology; yet in very many cases 
collections of eggs are made in such a careless manner as 
to render them worthless, except as ornaments, on account 
of the collector’s not paying sufficient attention to identifi- 
cation and authentication. 
Let identification, then, be the collector’s first care ; let 
him make it a rule never to take an egg or nest until 
he can surely tell to what species it belongs. The best 
method of learning the name of the owner of the nest is to 
shoot her, especially by collectors who have had but little 
experience in studying birds ; while the more practised 
ornithologist can generally tell at a glance, if the bird is 
large, what it is. While collecting the eggs of the War- 
blers and other small birds, the most experienced oologist 
should never neglect to shoot the bird, even if he has to 
watch for it a long time. 
Nests and eggs should never be labelled on the author- 
ity of a person who has found them, and only seen the 
birds, but who is in a comparative degree unacquainted 
with them. The nest should be seen in situ, and the bird 
identified. I have known a great many errors to arise from 
this source. 
Commence early in spring to look for the nests of the 
rapacious birds, and continue the search for these and 
other nests until late in summer. I know of no rule to be 
followed in finding nests. Search long and diligently in 
every locality frequented by birds ; and watch them while 
