the Coloration of Eggs. 559 



Chirinda, tlie darkest weaver nest I know — really very dark; 

 and not only was there little difference in size, shape, and 

 feel between the eggs, but there was also no great contrast 

 in their coloration. 



Mr. Bates's suggestion that the different j or ms of Weaver s 

 eggs are for recognition by the parents. — In three cases I 

 made a complete exchange of eggs between contiguous 

 nests. In each case, instead of exchanging nests, the birds 

 deserted. I have also, both now and in the past, noticed 

 excitement on the part of a particular bird or pair of birds 

 as I have tackled each particular nest, showing that the 

 birds know their nests even at a little distance by their 

 position, etc. More observation is wanted nevertheless, 

 especially of all the causes of the squabbles that take place 

 in a large Weaver colony. 



Unpleasantness in eggs and nestlings *. — I have commenced 

 to experiment on myself with eggs, and I can already con- 

 firm to some extent Mrs. Sclater-'s and Mr. Wallis's state- 

 ments as to their different tastes : their different "strengths" 

 would be almost better. It is wonderful, nevertheless, how 

 similar the most unrelated eggs may be in taste, and the 

 differences I have noticed up to the present are merely 

 comparable to, yet greater than, those that obtain as 

 between different genera of Nymphaline butterflies which 

 are nevertheless divided up into numerous grades by their 

 enemies. However, I have not yet tried any eggs that were 

 placed at all low by my animals. I have also found, I think, 

 that some eggs are more or less nauseating when swallowed, 

 while others are not : not that what nauseates myself will 

 necessarily nauseate a Crow. In any case the experiments 

 have not yet proceeded far. I am waiting for a bird of the 

 Crow family in order to continue my main experiments. 



I have added slightly to the list of nestlings disliked by 

 my cat, and have noticed in three of them the unpleasant 

 smell described by Mandina in a conversation I have quoted 

 above. The worst was that of Bgcanistes cristatus — so 



* Yet further testings enable me to confirm Mr. Wullis more com- 

 pletely. 



