British Birds, their Nests and Eggs. 119 



eggs taken within the British Islands. Of course 

 a great number of birds do not breed and 

 never have bred here ; for whilst the number 

 of species comprising the home list is three hun- 

 dred and sixty-seven, only about two hundred 

 breed within our shores. 



Not a few of the eggs of British birds are 

 worth more than their weight in gold, whilst 

 those of certain species which are supposed 

 to have become extinct bring quite fabulous 

 prices. A well-marked pair of golden eagle's 

 eggs have been known to fetch ^25. The 

 market value of an egg of the swallow-tailed 

 kite is three guineas, of Pallas's sand-grouse 

 thirty shillings, while ten times that amount was 

 recently offered for an egg of this Asiatic species 

 taken in Britain. On the other hand, the eggs 

 of certain of the social breeding birds are so 

 common in their season as to be systematically 

 collected for domestic purposes. And this in 

 face of the fact that many of them are remark- 

 able alike for size, shape, and beauty of colouring. 

 This applies particularly to the guillemot, whose 

 eggs are often remarkably handsome. As a rule the 

 colour of these is bluish green, heavily blotched, 

 and streaked with brown or black ; and the form 

 that of an elongated handsome pear. The guille- 

 mot is one of our commonest cliff-birds, and is 

 found in greatest abundance at Flamborough 

 Head. The eggs are systematically gathered by 



