1903 Notes on the Nests and Eggs of Birds 207 



methods of the former species was personally unknown to 

 me, in a state of wild nature, after incubation had once 

 commenced, until, within a week of my reading Mr. Millais' 

 experiences, I came across a nest of the wild duck which 

 was placed much nearer to the water than is the local 

 custom of this bird ; it was practically downless, and also 

 contained much more material and lining, in the shape of 

 dead vegetation, than is usual. This incident shows how 

 dangerous it is to call in question the observations of others. 

 I have seen hundreds of wild ducks' nests, and perhaps 

 scores of those of the shoveller, but never until 29th April 

 1903 had I ever found one of either species without the 

 " doom," as we call it. 



That some amount of moisture helps the embryo chick in 

 escaping from the shell when hatching approaches, especially 

 in the case of eggs with hard shells and tough internal 

 membrane, we know from practical experience with domestic 

 poultry. Thus hens' eggs "come off" better when their 

 nests are placed upon the ground than when they are " set " 

 in raised boxes. Tame ducklings, too, when incubated by a 

 hen, are the stronger and better for it if the shells containing 

 them in embryo are now and then sprinkled with tepid water. 

 This need for a certain amount of moisture may be the raison 

 d'etre for the green vegetation frequently found in the nests 

 of arboreal building hawks and of cormorants breeding 

 inland, the moisture evaporating from this greenery, minute 

 in quantity though it apparently be, may nevertheless be 

 sufficient to serve a needful purpose. 



In The Great Mountains and Forests of South America, 

 Mr. P. Fountain, after bringing forward supposed instances 

 from personal observation, comes to the conclusion that the 

 doctrine of protective coloration is based on erroneous 

 grounds. Nature's idea, he says, is to create a pleasing and 

 curious variety to gratify the eye of man, nothing more. 

 This is a retrograde step in science, and one need not go to 

 desolate regions, pathless prairies, and trackless forests where 

 there are no eyes of man to behold the wonders and beauties 

 of protective mimicry, to see that nature's endless variety of 

 form and colour needs some more comprehensive explana- 

 tion. In our own country how few human eyes have ever 



