162 THE LIFE OF A BIRD. 



any bird should continue to lay eggs for an indefinite 

 period appears altogether opposed to all that we 

 know of the functions of these creatures. If the 

 parent is robbed of her eggs she is said to continue 

 laying for ten or twelve days, and sometimes for 

 more. 



A thrush's nest was discovered one Saturday, 

 and then contained one egg. On the next day the 

 nest was destroyed and the egg stolen. On the 

 following day a new but very rudely formed nest 

 was constructed, in which one egg was laid. During 

 the whole of the next day there was no egg added, 

 but on the following there were three. The ob- 

 server, who mentions this fact, states that he was 

 acquainted with an instance in which two hen 

 pheasants laid the enormous number of ninety-two 

 eggs in one season. But in this instance, as in that 

 of the common fowl, we must consider the bird as 

 under the influence of domestication, which pro- 

 duces singular influences upon the habits of animals. 

 In a state of nature such an occurrence would be 

 impossible. 



Yet, even in the case of wild birds, the constant 

 disturbance of them by man serves to produce 

 almost the same result with regard to the number 



