170 4 PAPERS, ETC. 
An interesting illustration of the affection of the 
white stork for its progeny may be inserted here. 
At the conflagration at Delft a pair of these birds, 
whose nest was on the summit of one of the burning 
houses, made numerous but unavailing efforts to bear 
away their young ones, but being unable to succeed, 
forgetful of former and future offspring, they remained 
on the nest till both it and themselves were consumed. 
SCOLOPACIDAE. TOTANUS. 
88.—Totanus Hypoleucus.— Common Sandpiper, 
or Summer Snipe. 
The nest of these birds is very difficult to find, and it is 
a curious fact, that when it contains eggs, the female, 
if disturbed, quits it in silence, avoiding observation, 
but when there are young ones, she on the contrary 
tries every means to court attention, feigning to be 
unable to fly, screaming, and even rolling on the 
ground. They breed in holes in river banks. The 
eggs are four, reddish white, spotted and speckled 
with amber brown, 1 inch 4 lines by 1 inch. 
SCOLOPAX. 
89.—Scolopax rusticola.— Woodcock. 
A pair or two of these birds yearly build in this county. 
Young birds have been seen in July by the keeper 
of the Right Hon. H. Labouchere. The eggs are of 
a pale yellow, blotched and spotted over the large 
end with ash grey, and various shades of yellow brown, 
linch 9 lines by 1 inch 4 lines. 
90.—S. gallinago.— Common Snipe. 
The eggs of this bird equal in size those of the rook, a 
bird of three times its weight. They are pear-shaped, 
