8o WITH THE U. S. NATURALISTS 



curious shapes. The 'mermaid's purses,' two 

 inches long by one wide, with a curling tendril on 

 each corner, so often picked up on sea beaches, are 

 the egg cases of a skate. 



' ' The most wonderful eggs are found among the 

 insects. The stick and leaf insects, for example, 

 make egg-cases carved and ornamented in the 

 shapes of beautiful vases, with hinged lids deco- 

 rated in elaborate designs. Some insects' eggs 

 are square, some shaped like stars, others are like 

 small pyramids, and there's no end to the variety 

 of ways in which the young make their exit. If 

 you had a microscope, Shan, you'd find a collection 

 of insect eggs even more wonderful than those of 

 birds." 



''But all birds' eggs aren't the same shape," 

 protested Shan, eager in defense of his hobby. 



"Indeed they're not," the stranger answered. 

 ' ' The eggs of Owls and King-fishers, which are laid 

 in a hole in a tree, are round ; small-bodied birds 

 which lay four large eggs in a clutch, like the 

 Snipe and the Plover, lay them pear-shaped, which 

 are put into the nest pointing in and down so that 

 the small hen-bird can keep them all warm to- 

 gether; the Murre, which has only one egg and 

 lays that on a narrow ledge of rock, has a pyri- 



