20 British Birds^ 



trouble and care expended. I have always found a 

 small hole, only just lar^e enough to admit the passage 

 of sufficient air to expel the contents, made very care- 

 fully and neatly at the small end, and a larger one 

 about half-way between the great end and the line of 

 greatest diameter, which need not be more than a line 

 in breadth for the very largest eggs (if not " hard- 

 sat") quite sufficient for my purpose, and not objec- 

 tionable on the score of disfiguring the shell ; for by 

 mounting the ^^^ with the larger or vent hole down- 

 wards — the smaller hole being practically invisible in 

 a great number of instances, at least until looked for — 

 it appears to be altogether entire and perfect. 



Any tolerably strong pin will do for the purpose 

 with small eggs. For the larger and harder shells 

 something more efficient will be required. A hard 

 steel instrument fashioned like a " glover's needle " — 

 that is with the penetrating end furnished with three 

 edges all lost in the point — is as good as anything 

 that could be devised, and by having two or three of 

 diflerent sizes, every case of necessity would be pro- 

 vided for. The sharp-pointed pen-blade may be em- 

 ployed, but great care is necessary lest, when the 

 perforation is just efiected, the instrument should slip 

 a little farther in than was intended, and an ugly 

 fragment of shell be wrenched out. 



When the ^gg is thoroughly blown, it is advisable 

 to draw up a little clean water into it by the process 

 of immersing the vent-hole and sucking or drawing 

 in the air from the shell with the mouth through the 

 other — just reversing the late process of "blowing," 

 in short. The shell, when half-full, should be well 



