March-May 1887. Oologist 4(2): 84. From Nebraska.Reading the descriptions of collecting trips in the Oologist reminds me of the "best day" I have ever had. It was in the season of 1885, which, by the way, is the year in which I became interested in oölogy, when I decided to go on a collecting trip. As there is no one in Geneva besides myself interested in oölogy I went alone. In order to reach the river where I meant to go, I had to cross a large prairie farm, just the place to collect, so of course I commenced hunting for nests of the Prairie hens and Killdeers. I had been tramping around awhile and had found three sets of Killdeer's (one set had two eggs and the others three each) when I was startled by a loud whirr,and looking down saw within three feet of me a nest of the Prairie Hen. You can easily see how elated I felt. Well, I passed on trying to find more but did not until I came to the river; there of course I found plenty of such as Blue Jays, Catbirds, Thrush etc., etc., and was beginning to despair of finding anything rare, when I looked up and saw-well, I felt like "yelling right out"-for it was the nest of a Great Horned Owl. But there was one difficulty. I had just got a new pair of climbers, and did not know how to use them as well as I do now; but finally I got up and got the eggs-three-down safely. After hunting around a while longer I started home, richer by many specimens than I had been in the morning.
- Anton Dworak,
- Geneva, Neb.
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