Hints to Young Bird Students 127 These suggestions are not made with a faultfinding or sentimen- tal feeling, but in a friendly spirit, for the purpose of counteracting the effect of the advice of egg dealers and traders, who seem bent upon developing our budding students into "egg hogs" instead of ornithologists. We have all killed birds and collected eggs, but not to a useless excess, and have always, we believe, made real use of our collections in adding to the knowledge of birds and advancing the science of ornithology. As active members of the American Ornithologists' Union, we are only too glad to encourage the study of birds and aid the beginner, but unless some steps be taken against this useless egg collecting, the ex- termination of some at least of our birds will soon be effected. We ask your earnest consideration of these points, and trust you will aid us by your influence and example in advancing true orni- thology, and in discouraging the waste of bird-life occasioned by this "fad" of egg collecting. WITMER STONE, Conservator Ornithological Section, Acad. Nat. Sti., Philadelpliia. J. A. ALLEN, Curator Dept Vertebrate Zool., Ainer Mus Nat. Hist.. New York City FRANK M. CHAPMAN, Ass't Curator Dept. Vertebrate Zool., Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., New York City. ROBERT RIDGWAY, President American Ornithologists' Union. Curator Dept. of Birds, U. S. Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C. CHARLES W. RICHMOND, Ass't Curator Dept. of Birds, U. S Nat. Mus., Washington, D. C. C. HART MERRIAM, Chief U S Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agric'jlture, Washington, D. C. T. S. PALMER, Ass't Biol. Survey, Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. A. K. FISHER, Ass't Biol. Survey, Dept, of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. WILLIAM BREWSTER, Curator Dept. of Birds, Museum Comp. Zool., Cambridge, Mass. WILLIAM DUTCHER, Treasurer American Ornithologisis' I'nion, New York City. JOHN H. SAGE, Secretary American Ornithologists' Union, Portland, Conn
