1903 Notes on the Nests and Eggs of Birds 133 



From the survival of many birds which still preserve the 

 ancient reptilian characteristics of laying white or uniformly 

 tinted eggs on the ground and covering them up, we may 

 argue that these species have had no necessity to improve 

 their ancient methods for the perpetuation of their species, 

 either in the construction of their nest or in changing the 

 site thereof; whilst some have found it necessary to merely 

 add a second covering of colour to their eggs in the shape of 

 spots or blotches. Some ground-builders — early breeders — 

 lay their eggs in fairly conspicuous places, apparently aware 

 that by the time the whole clutch shall be deposited, and 

 incubation commenced, vegetation will have so far advanced 

 around them as to conceal the sitting parent. For instance, 

 a partridge's or pheasant's nest is frequently easy to find 

 whilst it contains one or two eggs only ; but wait a week or 

 ten days and then go and look for it again, and its discovery 

 will be far more difficult. Birds which make no nest what- 

 ever are those which lay their eggs in inaccessible places, or 

 hide them in tunnels in the ground, or in holes in trees. No 

 hard-and-fast rules can be drawn as to site or construction 

 of nest corresponding with the size or colour of the eggs in 

 any species, but, generally speaking, birds which lay but 

 one egg make no nest, those which lay two but little, whilst 

 those which lay many make much provision for their recep- 

 tion, and the smaller the egg the more careful and elaborate 

 is the nest prepared for its protection. Birds generally are 

 very secretive about their nests, and these, when no attempt 

 at concealment is made, are placed in high trees or upon 

 precipitous cliffs or in colonies. 



The number of eggs laid by a bird may depend upon four 

 things : — 



1. How many that bird can cover. 



2. How many young it can provide for. 



3. The enemies the species has to contend with. 



4. The age of the female parent. Some birds — cormo- 

 rants, for instance — which lay two eggs in their first clutch 

 will produce three sometimes in subsequent seasons. Young 

 mute swans commence with four or five, whilst a good old 

 bird will lay from nine to a dozen eggs. I have myself seen 

 twelve cygnets reared. Domestic fowls produce a greater 



