HARD WICKE ' S S CIE NCE-GOS SIP. 



abnormally pale ones, are due to abortion ; though 

 maternal anxiety, weakness, fright and other causes 

 must also be taken into consideration in accounting 

 for these aberrations. It is recorded by a Bacup 

 observer that many of the blackbird's eggs taken 

 from the heather bushes high up on the moorlands in 

 that vicinity, are of a blackish hue, so it is quite 

 possible that some of the variations in colour are due 

 to food-variety and climatic influences. When, 

 however, only one aberrant egg is found in a nest 

 with several others of the normal hue, it is more 

 difficult to account for the irregularity. As a case in 

 point, we instance a landrail's egg, which in colour 

 and markings reminds one very forcibly of the sparrow 

 hawk's, although we procured it from a nest in which 

 were eleven or twelve other eggs of the customary 

 landrail type. 



Coupled with this variety in colour there is frequently 

 an abnormity in shape and size. As an instance we 

 make mention of a yellow-hammer's which was found 

 in a nest with three others of the usual size and 

 colouring, but which was scarcely so large as that of 

 the golden-crested wren, and was spotted at the 

 small end with ash colour, the bulk of the shell being 

 of a dirty white, mottled over with yellowish brown. 



It is by no means an unusual thing to find thrushes' 

 ■eggs quite destitute of spots, globular in form, and no 

 larger than a marble ; whilst others are sometimes 

 taken with all the spots and markings agglomerated 

 into a blotch at the larger end. 



Before we leave the subject of the colouring of 

 birds' eggs we would draw attention to the curious 

 mimetic freaks which are often to be observed in the 

 markings en them. This is well illustrated by a 

 guillemot's in our possession, upon which are de- 

 picted most faithfully, in black and sepia, the numbers 

 10 and 7, and the word Joe. These are by no means 

 hieroglyphics, but are as well executed as many a 

 schoolboy's figures and writing. Upon the same egg 

 are also to be seen rude sketches of heads and several 

 grotesque figures. This curiosity has been exhibited 

 to numerous friends, who have each and all expressed 

 great astonishment at the wonderful mimicry. 



There are some eggs which, while they retain their 

 usual colouring, are yet abnormal in shape and size. 

 Of such a description is a house-sparrow's in our 

 collection, which is considerably elongated at the ex- 

 pense of its width ; and a friend once shewed to us 

 a hen's egg which much more resembled a large, 

 wrinkled lump of chalk than the production of Gallns 

 domesticics. 



Newspapers frequently contain reports of abnormally 

 large eggs, but dwarf varieties are quite as common 

 an occurrence. It is, or was, a popular belief in Italy 

 that when a hen had laid about one hundred eggs she 

 laid one or two very small ones and then ceased alto- 

 gether. Hence dwarf eggs were named "centenine," 

 from the Italian centenina, the hundredth. Dwarf 

 eggs amongst the turkeys and geese are rarities, but 



are often to be seen amongst the lapwings ; whilst 

 instances are recorded also amongst the snipes, red- 

 grouse, blackbirds, thrushes and others. The most 

 interesting case, however, which has come under our 

 personal notice is that of two linnet's eggs which we 

 took from a magpie's deserted nest near Lancaster. 

 They were of the usual colour, but in size were 

 scarcely so large as the blue-tit's. A correspondent 

 in Science-Gossip mentions having had sent to him 

 from the same locality similarly dwarfed linnet's 

 eggs. 



This curious situation for bird eggs reminds us that 

 the cuckoo is not the only bird whose eggs have been 

 discovered in the wrong nest ; for, besides the above 

 mentioned example, not only have starling's eggs 

 been found in a house-sparrow's nest, but even the 

 wren has been known to deposit her eggs in the nest 

 of the same bird. The eggs of the thrush and the 

 blackbird have been taken from the same nest ; while 

 the eggs of the partridge and pheasant, and of the 

 wild duck and the pheasant have been found together 

 in the same nests. The most noteworthy instance 

 however, of this class, that we can call to mind is the 

 following : from a coot's nest were abstracted 7 of 

 her own and 1 moor hen's. A few days afterwards 

 the nest was again visited, when it was found to contain 

 8 coot's and 2 moor hen's, plainly showing that the 

 two birds shared the same nest. 



It is not unusual for solitary eggs to be discovered 

 lying on the grass in the open field, at the foot of a 

 tre j , or in other similar unlikely situation. These, on 

 account of long exposure, are often bleached white, 

 and it is then almost impossible to tell the species of 

 bird to which they belong. The possible reason for 

 such curious situations is either the nest has been 

 torn out, or the bird has not been able to finish the 

 nest in time ; or, being at some distance from home, 

 has been compelled to drop her egg ere she could 

 reach the nest. 



Some curious instances of this class have come 

 under our notice. During one of our early-day's 

 nesting expeditions we lighted upon a siskin's egg 

 impaled upon the sharp thorn of a sloe-tree, and by 

 this means it was "ready-blown." No nest was to 

 be discovered in the vicinity, though a most careful 

 search was instituted. In another of our rambles we 

 found a thrush's egg hidden between two nests. 

 Either the bird had laid the egg before the lining 

 was finished, or it had been left from the previous 

 year's hatching, and a new lining laid over it. 



The only other examples of a similar kind that we 

 can find any record of is that of a partridge's which 

 was found covered up by the lining of leaves. In 

 each case the egg was " addled." 



A paper on " Bird-egg Curiosities " would scarcely 

 be complete without some mention being made of 

 "double-eggs." These monstrosities are exhibited 

 in at least three different ways : either the egg 

 contains double yolks; or the shell is ridged into 



