126 HABITS OP BIRDS. 



eggs of certain great birds which make their nests 

 in the open air, but are well able to defend them- 

 selves, are a dirty white, as may be observed among 

 the vultures, eagles, storks. Among the eggs of a 

 mixed colour, those are to be distinguished which 

 have a white ground, and those of which the ground 

 differs from white. The eggs with a white ground 

 are those of the European oriole, the long-tailed-tit, 

 the cole-tit, the nut-hatch, the creeper, and the 

 common swallow. Most of the eggs with a white 

 ground are concealed in well-covered nests. The 

 eggs of a mixed colour, and of which the ground is 

 not white, at least a pure white, are those of the 

 lark, the grass-hopper bird (Curruca locustdla y 



Egg of the Sky-Lark. 



FLEMING), the yellow-hammer, the wagtail, &.c.; 

 then those of the crows, the jays, the thrushes, the 

 quails, &c., with most of the singing birds, the 

 colour of the interior of whose nest harmonizes with 

 that of the eggs *. 



Such is the theory; and M. Gloger, after exa- 

 mining all the birds of Germany, is said to have 

 proved that the facts universally correspond to it. 

 In conformity with the same notion, Dr. Darwin 

 remarks that the eggs of the hedge-sparrow (Accentor 

 modularis) are greenish blue, like those of magpies 

 and crows, which are seen from beneath in wicker 

 nests, between the eye and the blue of the firma- 

 ment; but he forgets that the eggs of the song- 

 thrush, which are no less bright blue than those of 

 * Verhand. der Gesellschaft Nat. Freunde, in Berlin. 



