124 HABITS OF BIRDS. 



open to the view of their enemies, lay eggs of which 

 the colour is the least distinguishable from that of the 

 surrounding objects, so as to deceive the eye of those 

 animals who have a desire to destroy them ; while 

 birds, the eggs of which have a bright decided colour, 

 and are consequently very conspicuous, either conceal 

 their nests in hollows, or only quit their eggs during 

 the night, or begin to sit immediately after laying. 

 It is also, he states, to be remarked, that in the spe- 

 cies of which the nest is open, and the female brings 

 up the brood without the assistance of the male, the 

 former is generally of a different colour from the 

 latter, less conspicuous, and more in harmony with 

 the objects around. The foresight of nature has, 

 therefore, provided for the preservation of the species 

 of which the nest is altogether exposed, by imparting 

 to the eggs a colour which will not betray them at 

 a distance ; while she has been able, without incon- 

 venience, to give the brightest colour under circum- 

 stances where the eggs are concealed from view. Or 

 perhaps, to speak more correctly, numerous birds can 

 deposit their eggs in places accessible to view, be- 

 cause the colour of the eggs enables them to be con- 

 founded with the surrounding objects ; while other 

 birds are obliged to conceal their nests, because the 

 conspicuous colour of the eggs would have attracted 

 their enemies. Eggs, according to the patrons of 

 this hypothesis, must be distributed into two series 

 according as their colour is simple or mixed. The 

 simple colours, such as white, blue, green, yellow, 

 are the brightest, and consequently the most dan- 

 gerous for the eggs. The pure white, the most 

 treacherous of colours, is found among birds which 

 breed in hollow places, like the woodpecker, the 

 wryneck, the roller, the merops, the king-fisher, the 

 snow-bunting, the robin, the dipper, the swallow, 

 the martin. It is only among these birds that the 



