96 TAXIDERMY AND ZOOLOGICAL COLLECTING. 



and in case the egg- is in a clean, healthy condition, it can now 

 be laid away on cotton or corn-meal, with the hole downward, 

 to drain and get dry. Observe this point, however. The thin, 

 membranous lining 1 of an egg 1 , which the point of the drill 

 pierces but cannot cut away, often closes together inside the 

 hole so closely as to retain, for some time, whatever water might 

 chance to remain. For this reason it was my custom to cut 

 away this membrane around the edges of the hole. Captain 

 Bendire remarks that "eggs that have been thoroughly cleaned 

 will retain their original color much better, and insects or mice 

 are not so apt to trouble them." 



BEHOVING LARGE EMBRYOS. It often happens that eggs are 

 taken quite near the hatching point, containing embryos so 

 lusty in size, and so " very fillin' " that their successful ejectment 

 seems impossible. Nil detperandum. The way out of the diffi- 

 culty is through a very small hole. On this point I appealed 

 to the highest authority, Captain Bendire, and he kindly gave 

 me, in general substance, the following directions : 



![n the first place, make up your mind to go slow, and take 

 plenty of time. If the egg is valuable and the embryo is large, 

 reinforce the egg all over with strips of gold-beater's skin or 

 court-plaster. Having drilled a fairly large hole, then insert the 

 head of a needle in a small stick for a handle, and with the point 

 pierce the embryo in twenty or thirty places. The egg sac, 

 which is always present, should be taken out, if possible with 

 the forceps, to give room for water. 



Having cleared out the egg as far as possible, fill it up with 

 water to assist in the decomposition of the embryo. Cover the 

 bottom of a box with a layer of cornmeal or saw-dust ; lay the 

 egg on this, with the hole upward (still full of water), cover the 

 box, and place it under a stove or in any other place warm 

 enough to hasten the process of decomposition. Work at the 

 egg a little about every alternate day, but without hurrying 

 matters, and keep this process in operation until the embryo 

 softens, falls to pieces, and is ready to be drawn out piecemeal. 

 In removing a large embryo, try to get hold of the tip of the 

 mandible with the small forceps, so that it can be drawn out, 

 point foremost, without splitting the shell. 



Eggs that emit an offensive odor after they have been blown 



