206 WITH XATTRE AX I) A CAMERA. 



mam' co'gs tliat tlicy cannot jjossibly cover them 

 all except two deep, and yet those in the bottom 

 laver receive a .sufficient amount of heat to incu- 

 l)ate them. I liave seen Coal Tits' eg-gs disposed in 

 this way, aiul the bottom row had each worked 

 themselves such deej) ind(Mitations in tlie materials 

 with which the nest Avas composed as to be half 

 buried. I have also seen a Moor lien's nest wdth 

 nine eo'gs in it, some of which were piled u\Hm the 

 others. Of course, it may be said that a sitting- 

 bird turns her eggs over daily, but even then one 

 would think that the varial)le amount of heat 

 generated around them must be detrimental to the 

 embryo chick. In the case of the Coal I'it just 

 mentioned, I very nnu'h cpiestion whether they were 

 turned over at all, because such an action would 

 have prevented the great amount of embedment of 

 the ecro-s in the nmterials of which the bottom of the 

 nest was formed. 



^Members of the Plover family greatly dislike 

 their eggs to lie any way except with their points 

 to the centre of the nest, and, when a boy, I used 

 to alter the disposition of the eggs of Peewits and 

 Golden Plovers in order to see how quickly they 

 would set them to rights again. 



According to my experience, birds are not 

 nearly so particular al)Out their nests and eggs as 

 is popularly supposed. I recollect once examining 

 a l)i])per's nest, situated in a horizontal cleft of 

 rock, and containing four eggs, which were centi-ed 

 romid a sharp ])i('ce of stone ])roje('ting right 

 through its bottom. I have also seen a ( 'haffinch's 

 nest with a piece of blackthorn showing through it, 

 although it was cpiite linished and contained (>ggs. 



Starlings frequcnl]\' di-o]) theii- eggs about in the 

 fields. Pheasants, i*arti-i(li;es, (Jrouse, VAdcv Ducks, 



