CHAPTER VII. 



BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR NESTS AND EGGS. 



OOLOGY may be said to be the latest of the 

 sciences ; and although perhaps not a very 

 profound one, it is certainly among the most 

 interesting. Those who are not ornithologists, 

 or specially interested in natural history, can 

 have but little idea of the progress made of late 

 in all that pertains to the nidification of British 

 birds. Expensive and elaborately illustrated 

 treatises have been written on the subject ; 

 naturalists have spent thousands of pounds in 

 tracking birds to their breeding haunts ; and 

 some of the best scientific workers of the day 

 are devoting their lives to this and the kindred 

 subject of migration. Then again ci'ty " natura- 

 lists " have their continental collectors, and are 

 building up quite a commerce about the subject. 

 The money value of a complete set of clutches 

 of eggs of British birds is about ^200, although 

 more than double this sum would be given for 



