the Culuration uf H^ggs^. 605 



Bullfinch's. Tlie ej^gs were, as usual, hrokeu into by myself 

 before being offered, in order to avoid complications through 

 differing strength of shell. 



Conclusions from Experiments on the Mongoose. 



No one can read these experiments, I think, without 

 realizing that preferences of the most marked kind were 

 shown. At the same time, the change that occurred in the 

 mongoose^s opinion of one or two eggs warns us that his 

 " placings " in these experiments do not necessarily, in every 

 case, repi'esent what his final verdict on the eggs would have 

 been had he been supplied with more abundant material. 

 Also, the mongoose's preferences were not necessarily those 

 that would have been shown by Palsearctic eaters of eggs, 

 though the analogy of insect-, meat-, and plant-eating 

 vertebrates suggests that the difference would not have been 

 great. 



Still, the preferences shown are, perhaps, worth roughly 

 tabulating. The following may be nearly correct : — 



1. House-Martin, House-Sparrow, Bullfinch, Greenfinch. Beef. 



2. Quite a gap. Mouse, yolks of certain eg-gs, incubated Black- 



bird, Kestrel, and Garden- Warbler. Some of the stale eggs 

 of June 30th (as Sandpiper, Golden Plover, Grouse, Pheasant 

 Oystercatcher) come here or higher *. 



Lesser f 3. Song-Thrush, Spotted Flycatcher, Meadow-Pipit. 



Wliite- I 4. Hedge-Sparrow. | p^^^^^j^ ^uck and Tm-tle-Dove hereabouts. 



throat, \ 5. Grey Wagtail. J 



Yellow- [ 6. Pied Wagtail, Domestic Fowl. 1 Great T't 



Hammer. {J. Wren, Willow- Warbler, Guinea-fowl (at the last). J 



8. Fowl, temporarily. 



9. Fowl's intestines, Burnet Moth. 



All these eggs, with the exceptions stated in Grade 2, were 

 fresh and non-incubated. 



The special dislike for the albumen of the low-placed eggs 

 was of interest, as suggesting the part of the egg which 



* Red Grouse " with definite eagerness" aud "all I would allow" 

 of eacli of the others here meutioued. 



