20 



eggs ; a brad-awl, sharpened to a point, or a three-cornered 

 needle, will suffice for small ones. 



In the very common event of the young bird being more or 

 less advanced towards hatching, considerable care and dexte- 

 rity will be required in extracting it. Mr. Newton recommends 

 gumming on the side of the shell, one over another, a series 

 of circular pieces of paper (such as would be cut by a punch 

 for gun waddings), and then slit in several places from the 

 circumference half way towards the centre, with a pair of 

 scissors, in order to allow them to be accommodated to the 

 convexity of the egg. When dry, the hole is to be made 

 through these, which will add considerably to the strength of 

 that part of the shell ; and the embryo is to be very carefully 

 cut up and drawn out by skilful manipulation with the most 

 slender knives, hooks, or scissors, that can be procured. The 

 patches of paper can easily be removed by softening them 

 sufficiently in water. Care should always be taken to clean 

 the eggs well out, to rinse them with a little water, and to 

 leave the egg hole downwards until thoroughly dry. 



When dry, each egg should be wrapped in a small quantity 

 of cotton wool, or the lightest substitute available, and all out 

 of one nest, packed within the nest, if it be saved, or put 

 together into a chip box. Such box, or nest of eggs, should 

 be most carefully labelled with the place and time of capture ; 

 and the name, native or otherwise, of the parent birds, stating 

 particularly the circumstances warranting the application of 

 the latter, such as " Parent bird shot on the nest, and sent 

 herewith, numbered so-and-so." As the small boxes and 

 nests of eggs accumulate, they should be carefully packed in 

 a box of larger size, and so as to prevent shaking. Wrapping 

 each egg separately is far preferable to putting them in saw- 

 dust, sand, grain, or similar material, as by shaking in 

 travelling the eggs get to the top, the sand, &c., to the bottom 

 of the box, and much damage ensues. 



