126 Bird- Lore
an excellent article for that purpose. \Nhile the impression is fresh in the mind the card headings should be written. if they record facts bearing upon the recorder‘s hobby. If, however, the records are of observations not likely to be of use to the recorder, but which he designs to hand over to some student who may make use of them, the head spaces of the cards should be left blank for that student's use. to be filled in as he thinks best suited to the classification of his catalogue. To illustrate this, let me here reproduce a card of my own recording:
DR EUGENE MURR.K\',-\Ak0\ lJtN'lDt HrIGH1s,\\'Asm\t:ruN. x). C
0mm" i. was
The male Carolina Wren. uhu with his mate has taken up his winter quarters in my Wes! library-window awning, thereby making it impossible to take the awning down this year, to its ruin no tluulu. invariably sets up a great scolding whenever the lions. panthers and wolve, n the National Zoo start up their sunset concert in the valley below my home. H the} at: quiet, so a: he, It sounds much like swearing.
Now this card may interest an ornithologist: but, it so, I am not cour petent to judge whether he will classify it under "Wren." "Carolina Wren," "Nesting Habits." or how, And should some student of the cat tribe take a fancy to the card he certainly would not thank me for filling up that head line with the words "Wren, Carolina." as I would for my own catalogue.
The libraries of our scientific societies are all more or less cumbered with manuscript note-booksfinotc-books containing perhaps ninety-five per cent of chafft Some years ago. in the archives of a society that shall remain nameless, I discovered note~books regarding his field observations in America kept by that pioneer student of the diptera. Baron Osten- Sackent These. at least some of them, had been used as scrap-books to hold clippings from daily papers regarding injurious insects, the source of the clippings amply attesting the utter worthlessness of the material that had obliterated ()sten-Sacken's times There is nothing more unhand)‘ to deal with, to keep conveniently on library shelves, and to properly classify. than the ordinary collection of note-books or diaries. Who ever saw two of them of the same shape and size? They are seldom thick enough to label on their backs and, after a season in the field. are usually about ready to fall apart. any how. And. as a rule. the useless material in them tar outweighs the useful,
