10 NAME AND SHAPE. 
smooth as if polished. Eggs of some sea-birds 
_ are covered with a glutinous substance to pre- 
' vent their slipping off the sand or rocks. 
“On few things have so much beauty been 
lavished. Just peep in any lane or brake, in 
spring, into a bird’s nest, and lying cosily in 
their mossy couch you will behold a number of 
mysterious spheres, every one of them with 
life within, but externally smooth and brilliant 
as a gem, penciled with delicate lines, flecked 
with lapis lazuli or ruby, clouded, streaked, 
furnished with thousands of invisible pores, 
through which the air penetrates to the im- 
prisoned bird, to hasten its development and 
co-operate with animal heat in imparting to it 
all the mysterious powers of organization and 
vitality.” 
“Considering one of these marvels from our 
view we should think it something to last for- 
ever, while it is only for a few days. 
Pierce the shell and we find a matrix white, 
thin and delicate as the petals of a flower, to 
protect it from the shell. 
