198 
JOUKNAL OF MAMMALOGY 
ing collections and exchanging specimens. No one doubts, for instance, the 
great stimulating effect on the development of ornithologists of the old “egg 
catalogues” and price lists on the basis of which the eggs and skins of birds were 
exchanged by those growing naturalists who came within their influence. Some 
of our leading ornithologists were led into the work by their introduction to 
those old egg lists and the small journals which contained the offers of exchange. 
The successful zoologist of mature years will almost invariably confess that 
his interest in his first private collection led him to continue as a life work the 
study of some branch of zoology. The opportunities which presented themselves 
in early professional life may have influenced his career and led him away from 
the group of animals most favored m his younger days, but it was his “collection” 
and the fascination that grew out of his work upon it, that made him a naturalist 
for life. For this reason most zoologists believe in and encourage the careful 
formation of small natural history collections by boys. Out of a reasonable 
number of youthful “collectors” is almost sure to develop one zoologist of 
ability; and in no other way, many men believe, can eminent and successful 
zoologists be made. Successful business men who formerly “collected” make 
sometimes the best patrons of science in their affluent age. 
It is the opinion of several of our most prominent members with whom the 
editor has consulted, that the Society has a genuine function to perform in the 
encouragement of young mammalogists. And how better do it than by the 
development of an interest in mammal collecting? Most of the stock arguments 
against the youthful collecting of birds and eggs can hardly be brought out and 
used against the collecting of mammals. The trapping of wild mice, ground 
squirrels, gophers, and other small mammals in such numbers as is usual by a 
mammal collector can not possibly do harm. Many of the species are already 
warred against by the agriculturist; and the larger game and fur bearing species 
are protected by law, with open seasons in which reasonable collecting may be 
done. Special permits are rarely necessary, and the rigid laws now blocking the 
growth of young ornithologists will not hamper the collector of mammals. A 
hundred or more private collections of mammals should flourish in the United 
States and Canada, where there are now less than a dozen. We have a very few 
advanced private collectors but these few would doubtless all be glad of a wid- 
ened interest and would welcome the opportunity for the exchange of specimens 
with persons of similar tastes in other parts of our continent. 
Mr. A. Brazier Howell, with the collaboration of other California mammalo- 
gists, has prepared a manuscript list of the mammals of that state with exchange 
values, which he has submitted to the editor of the Journal for an expression of 
opinion. By an ingenious system of unit values, 100 percent for a well made skin 
with perfect uncleaned skull, and a reduction or addition of a certain percent of 
basic valuation for skins without skulls, odd skulls, specimens with damaged skulls, 
topotypes, cleaned skulls, or alcoholics, the exchange value of any specimen of 
any species is readily ascertained from the list. The basic values range from 
50 cents for the most abundant forms of Peromyscus, 75 cents and up for Microtus, 
^1.00 and up for Neotoma, Thomomys, Dipodomys, etc., $1.50 and up for Sciurus 
and species of similar size, on up to $100 or more for some of the largest ungulates 
and expensive fur-bearers. 
