On the General Character."^ of Birds' -eg//s. 951 



eye black, and the head only sliowcd a few black feathers 

 on it. 



My readers will, I hope, be able to gather from this con- 

 densed and imperfect description that West Jntland presents 

 many features of interest to the orinthologist. The dreary 

 areas of shallow brackish waters studded with islets strongly 

 reminded my brother Abel of his experiences in the Spanish 

 marismas ; he remarked that he hardly could have believed 

 there was so near home a wilderness so nearly akin to the 

 marismas of Spain; and the sight of wild Pelicans, besides the 

 myriads of other fowl, formed, on the whole, at least to us, 

 as charming a spectacle as it has ever been our lot to witness. 

 In conclusion, it may be added that for real kindness 

 and extreme civility, coupled with excellent living at the 

 cheapest possible rate, this land of the Danes is perhaps 

 without an ecpial in ]<]urope. 



XXVIII. — On a ColJeclhin arramjed to illaslrale the General 

 Characters of the E(j(js of Birds. By Sir William H. 

 Flower, K.C.B., F.KS. 



At several recent soirees at the Royal College of Surgeons 

 and the Royal Society Mr. Edward Bid well has exhibited 

 selections from his large collection of birds'-eggs, arranged 

 in series intended to furnish some information as to the 

 general principles which appear to underlie the diversities 

 seen in these beautiful natural objects, too rarely looked 

 upon by collectors from any scientific point of view. 



It is true that at present but little has been made out about 

 them, and especially that they have not afforded us so much aid 

 in the solution of that most perplexing question, the natural 

 classification of birds, as was at one time hoped. With a 

 view, however, of bringing together into an easily appreciable 

 form the principal facts that are known about birds'-eggs, and 

 with the hope that this attempt nuiy lead to fui'thcr develop- 

 ment of the sui)jcct, I have for some tiuie, acting upon 

 Mr. Bidwell's idea, and with much help from him, both in 



