6 



Four. — Nearly all the Plovers (Charadriiformes) lay four pear- 

 shaped eggs, which are placed with their points together, and 

 thus occupy a smaller area. Among the birds included in the 

 Charadriiformes are the Snipe, Woodcock, Sandpiper, Stint, and 

 Euff. 



Four to Seven. — Most of the Perching birds (Passeriformes) lay 

 four to seven eggs. But a few of these birds, such as some of the 

 Tits {Faridie), may lay as many as ten or twelve eggs, which are 

 the numbers sometimes found in the nests of the Long-tailed tit 

 {Acredula caudata) and the Blue tit {Parus cwruleus). 



Ten to Twelve. — Nearly all the Game birds (Galliformes\ 

 Eails {Ralliformes), and Ducks {Anseriformes) lay from about ten 

 to twelve eggs in a clutch, or in some instances more. The 

 Common partridge [Perdix cinered) sometimes lays twenty eggs. It 

 is probable that the number and size of the eggs laid by the Game 

 birds and Ducks, together with their habit of making their nest 

 on the ground, was the first inducement man had to domesticate 

 these birds. 



More than thirty eggs are sometimes found in the nest of the 

 Ostrich (Struthio camelus), but the same nest is used by several 

 hens, each of which lays about ten eggs. The eggs are incubated 

 almost entirely by the male bird. 



The Cuckoo {Ciiculus canoriis), as is well known, deposits an 

 egg (of which she lays several) in the nest of some other bird, 

 who hatches and brings up the alien. The offspring of the 

 foster birds are ultimately turned out of the nest by the young 

 cuckoo. 



The egg is first laid on the ground by the cuckoo and afterwards 

 conveyed in her bill to the nest of the chosen foster parents, which 

 is most often one of the following : Pied wagtail {Motacilla lugu- 

 hris), Tit lark or Meadow pipit (Anthus irratensis^ Eeed warbler 

 (Acrocephalus streperus). Hedge sparrow (Accentor modularis), and 

 Eobin {Erithacus rulecula) ; but many other birds may be imposed 

 upon. 



The egg of the cuckoo may be a good match as to colour with 

 those of the foster parents, as here shown in the clutches of the 

 Garden warbler (Sylvia hortensis) and Whitethroat (Sylvia cinerea). 

 The egg of the Cuckoo is, however, larger than the eggs of these 

 birds. 



