90 



COLLECTING AND PRESERVING BIRDS' EGGS. 



There is, however, difificulty in extracting the contents of an egg 

 that has an embryo partially developed. The shell grows more 

 fragile as incubation advances and the membrane which lines the 

 shell grows thicker and tougher. 



The hole must necessarily be made larger and the embryo should 

 be extracted a little at a time with an embryo hook or forceps and 

 cut in pieces with a fine narrow-bladed scissors. The lining mem- 

 brane should be extracted if possible in the same manner. 



Ragged holes in eggs can be improved by pasting gold-beater's 

 skin over them. 



Egg Cabinet. 



The above is a front view of an egg cabinet which is capable of 

 holding a very extensive collection of both nests and eggs. 



The dimensions of the original, of which this is a drawing, is three 

 feet in height, four feet in width, and two feet deep. The draw- 

 ers are in two rows, have graded depths, from an inch and a half to 

 three inches and a half; and are arranged from the deepest at the 

 bottom to the shallowest at the top. The drawers of a cabinet of 

 this kind should fit tightly to exclude dust, and each drawer should 

 be made with a projected edge. The interior of the drawers should 

 be divided into compartments for «ach set of eggs ; these compart- 



