ing their presence to a distance, whilst she has 

 been able, without inconvenience, to give the most 

 brilliant colours in those circumstances where 

 they are hidden from the sight. 



Pure white, the most treacherous of colours, 

 we find to be the colour of the eggs of birds 

 which build in holes, as the woodpeckers, the 

 king-fishers, the swifts, the dock and water swal- 

 lows, and others ; also of those birds, as the 

 titmice and wrens, which construct their nests 

 with openings so small, that their enemies can- 

 not see into them. Moreover, we find eggs 

 white in birds which do not quit their nests, ex- 

 cept at night, as the owls ; or for a very short 

 time during the day, as the falcons. Finally, 

 this colour is found in those which lay only one 

 or two eggs, and which immediately begin to sit, 

 as the pigeons, &c. 



The clear green or blue colour, is proper to 

 the eggs of many species which build in holes, as 

 the starlings, the fly-catchers, &c. ; it is also 

 common to the eggs of birds, the nests of which 

 are constructed of green moss, or situated in the 

 midst of grass, but always well hidden. Green 

 eggs, too, are found, with many powerful birds, 

 able to defend them, as the herons. 



A faint green colour, approaching to a yellow- 

 ish tint, is observed in the eggs of birds, as the 

 partridges and pheasants, which lay in the grass, 

 without preparing a regular nest. The same 

 colour is remarked in those which cover their 



