Their Eggs mid Nests. 17 



— were of such general hue, so shaded and so marked 

 as to be anything but conspicuous, as to be indeed 

 well calculated to escape any but a most scrutinising 

 notice, in the apologies for nests which usually con- 

 tain them, the entire truth of the remark would liave 

 appealed to every nest-finder's exi)erience and assent : 

 but it will not do so in any other form. 



It is impossible to lay down any rule for the colours 

 of eggs in connection with the places, or nature of the 

 places, in which they are laid. White eggs are not 

 laid in nests built in dark holes as a rule —indeed, 

 very much the contrary ; witness the Dove's eggs, 

 and so many of those of the Duck tribe ; nor are 

 dark-coloured eggs invariably found to be laid where 

 exposed to the greatest amount of broad daylight. 

 There seems to be no rule in the matter. 



Again, another answer to the question just noticed 

 is, Eggs were made so beautiful, and so various in 

 their beauty, to gratify and gladden man's eye. I don't 

 dispute the fact that the beautiful shape, and the 

 beautiful tints, and the beautiful markings do gratify 

 and gladden the human eye and human heart too. I 

 know they do, and in thousands of cases, and with a 

 great, pure pleasure. But that is a very different 

 thing from saying that God made them so for no 

 other reason, or even for that purpose as a principal 

 reason. How many thousands of eggs, for ten that 

 are seen by man, escape all human notice whatever ! 

 How many millions upon millions in the old-world 

 times before there were men to see them, must have 

 had their fair colours, and delicate symmetry, and 

 harmonious intermingling of hues, for no purpose 



