12 British Birds ^ 



CHAPTER II. 



Any one "who is conversant with Yarrell's admirable 

 " British Birds," will most likely have noticed that 

 that author gives in almost every case very precise 

 measurements of the eggs of each particular species 

 of bird described. And it might, at first sight, seem 

 to be so necessary to give such measurements that 

 one would very likely feel half inclined to pronounce 

 a book of birds' eggs very imperfect, which omitted 

 all notice of dimensions. But the fact is, such 

 measurements are, in so very many different instances, 

 altogether fallacious and likely to mislead. Thus 

 Mr. Yarrell's measurements of the Blackbird's egg 

 are, " the length one inch, two lines ; the breadth ten 

 lines." That is no doubt a good average or approxi- 

 mate measurement, but I have Blackbirds' eggs before 

 me which vary between half a line, or ^t of an inch, 

 less, and a line, or yV of an inch, more in length, and 

 between half a line more or less, in breadth. Again, 

 I have two Starlings' eggs on my table, both taken 

 from the same pigeon-cote in Essex ; one of which is 

 \-l-^ inch long by \\ inch broad ; the other l/o inch 

 long, and \% inch broad ; while to the eye the latter is 

 not much more than half as large as the former. 

 Moreover, Mr. Yarrell's measurements for this bird's 

 eggs are precisely the same as for those of the Black- 



