I have heard of a collector who boasted of
having taken one hundred sets of the eggs of the marsh wren, in a
single day; of another, who took in the same time, thirty nests of the
yellow-breasted chat; and of still another, who claimed to have taken
one thousand sets of eggs of different birds in one season. A large
business has grown up under the influence of this collecting craze.
One dealer in eggs has those of over five hundred species. He says
that his business in 1883 was twice that of 1882; in 1884 it was twice
that of 1883, and so on. Collectors vie with each other in the extent
and variety of their cabinets. They not only obtain eggs in sets,
but aim to have a number of sets of the same bird so as to show all
possible variations. I hear of a private collection that contains
twelve sets of kingbirds' eggs, eight sets of house-wrens' eggs,
four sets mocking-birds' eggs, etc.; sets of eggs taken in low trees,
high trees, medium trees; spotted sets, dark sets, plain sets, and
light sets of the same species of bird. Many collections are made on
this latter plan.
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