NIDIFICATION AND INCUBATION 



349 



the position of the embryo admirably. It will be seen 

 that the head of the chick, which has grown more rapidly 

 than the body and is disproportionately large, lies curled 

 up on one side of the egg-shell, but its position is nearer to 

 the large end. It is doubtless the large end of the egg which 



EGG WITH THE EMBRYO. 



traverses the oviduct foremost in the process of being laid, 

 as is possibly the case in all birds, although the contrary 

 has been asserted.* Mr. Wilson's drawing also shows the 

 rounded form of the beak, which is rather remarkable, and 

 this roundness continues to be still plainly observable for 

 several days after the Gannet-chick has been extruded from 

 the egg. Another point is that the connection of all the toes 



* See " Key to North American Birds " (1884), p. 224. In mammalian 

 births also, when normal, the head is presented first. 



