EXQUISITE TEXTURE. 185 



some apparent compactness, and is often stained, 

 probably from the materials which surrounded it. 

 An egg of perhaps the most exquisite and lovely 

 character of any known is to be found in one of 

 the cases at the British Museum, under the title 

 of Crypturus ; it is placed among the gallinaceous 

 eggs. The texture of this egg is remarkable for 

 its splendid polish ; so high is its lustre, that it has 

 all the appearance of being varnished, and, being 

 of a chaste and subdued chocolate colour, it pre- 

 sents an appearance not unlike that of some work 

 of art. By its side is another egg of a similar 

 character, but tinted blue. The common partridge 

 of England, and still more remarkably the Perdix 

 dentata of Brazil, produces a smooth egg of beau- 

 tiful texture. 



Many of the eggs of the wading birds, (Gralla- 

 tores,) have a character the very opposite of these. 

 Their texture is smooth, but the eggs are dull- 

 looking, and not unfrequently resemble coloured 

 wares of dried chalk. The eggs of the spoonbill, in 

 particular, partake of this chalk-like appearance, 

 and are rough in their texture. Many of those of 

 the heron resemble pieces of chalk of that size, 

 coloured green. The Cyrus crane of India, again, 



