Page:Bird-lore Vol 08.djvu/255

The Amount of Science in Oology 207 But the main error of his article lies in his claim that the knowledge of bird life in general, of their songs, nesting habits, food and characteristics, is obtained only in the collecting of eggs, or, in his own words, that he would not have learned them if he had not been hunting eggs." As if a man must have other incentive than the love of nature itself to take him into the glorious country! Is not that sufficient to attract one to the haunts of the birds, to make him study and watch their nesting habits, to hear their songs and observe their traits as exhibited in the various species? I am not an egg-collector, or oologist if the word sounds better, yet am proud to say that in a busy business life I can find time to spend some six or eight weeks of each year in the woods and fields and find it very enjoyable too, even without bringing home some egg-shells. I, too, have found even as many nests in a month as he mentions, yet could see no reason for robbing them. I have learned much of the bird songs, have seen many of the various eggs, have some fine photos of birds and their nests, have watched the feeding of birds, and know, from my own observations, of their advantage to man to a greater or lesser degree. I also know that birds have enemies, that the Cowbird and red squirrel, the snake and house cat are all destructive to bird life, and that the weather in spring has much influence on the rearing of young birds, — yet I did not have to collect their eggs to find it out. When a man knows the enemies the birds do have, it would seem that he would not desire to add one more to the list. If a man can not find enough attraction to call him to God's beautiful out-of-doors, when the birds are singing their sweetest songs and the green things putting on their gayest attire, without needing the excuse of robbing bird's nests, scientifically or not, he is, to my mind, neither a lover of nature nor of birds. Very respectfully Frank A. Brown. Bird-Lore's Colored Plates WITH the publication in this number of Bird-Lore of the twenty- fourth plate, the series of colored plates of North American Warblers is completed. While, in some instances, these plates have not reached our standard, we may, nevertheless, say without fear of contra- diction, that of no other family of North American birds does so adequate a series of colored plates exist. We shall now take up the Thrushes, — and the plates already made are even more satisfactory than those of the Warblers, although the subjects are more difficult. The Thrushes will be followed by the Flycatchers, which will be reached in the next volume of Bird -Lore, and, in this time, we hope to figure in color every species of North American bird.