XXV1 INTRODUCTION. 
~such birds as the Herons, the Cormorants, Pelicans, and Storks, all of 
which lay conspicuous eggs in an open nest. It is quite evident in these 
cases that the birds by their own prowess alone shield their eggs from 
danger; besides, most of these birds are gregarious, and are well able to 
beat off any enemy that is likely to approach, if not singly, by uniting for 
the purpose, so that it is of no special advantage for them to conceal their 
eggs. We must also remember that these birds may have descended 
from a hole-building ancestor—most probably from an ancestor that laid 
colourless eggs. The coloration of eggs is characteristic in many groups 
of birds; and in these instances the eggs of the various species conform 
to those colours peculiar to their special~group, although they depend 
upon other sources for the requisite amount of protection than those which 
a remote ancestor practised. We now come to our second great division, 
in which the eggs are beautifully adorned with various hues; and, as our 
first group, we will take 
Spotted eggs laid in open nests,—As our first instances we notice 
two birds nesting on sandy shores, the Lesser Tern and the Ringed Plover. 
Both these birds lay eggs more or less sand-coloured, which circumstance 
effectually conceals them from view. A still more detailed account of the 
nesting of these two birds will serve to show even more closely the import- 
ance of this fact. The Ringed Plover’s eggs are far more minutely speckled 
than those of the Lesser Tern, and as a consequence we find them laid on 
the finest sand; but the Lesser Tern’s are more richly and elaborately 
marked, and they are only found amongst the coarser shingle, where their 
larger markings harmonize with surrounding tints most effectually. Take 
another instance. The Common Sandpiper’s eggs assimilate so closely with 
the tints around them as to make their discovery a matter of no small 
difficulty, as every oologist can testify who has searched for them. The 
Peewit’s eggs, dark in ground-colour and boldly marked, are in strict 
harmony with the sober tints of moor and fallow, and on this circumstance 
alone their concealment and safety depend. Another instance may be 
found in the eggs of the Dotterel, far up the hillsides, amongst the inces- 
sant mists, where their rich brown markings and stone-coloured ground- 
tints harmonize closely with the colours of their mountain resting-place. 
The Diver’s eggs furnish another example of protective colour; they are 
generally laid close to the water’s edge, amongst drift and shingle, where 
their dark tints and black spots conceal them by harmonizing closely 
with surrounding objects. The Snipes and the great army of Sandpipers 
furnish instances innumerable of protectively coloured eggs. In all the 
instances given the sitting bird invariably leaves the eggs uncovered when 
it quits them, and consequently their safety depends solely on the colours 
which adorn them. A passing word should here be given to the eggs of 
the Gulls. Some of these species depend for the safety of their eggs upon 
