OF THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BIRDS. 59 



only requires an examination of the nests themselves,, which 

 he has thus arranged, to convince us how appropriate the terms 

 are, which he has applied to their several structures. 



The eggs are emptied of their contents by making a very 

 small hole at each end with the triangular borer (plate VL, 

 fig. 8), or with the point (fig. 9, or 10). By blowing at one of 

 the ends, the contents will escape by the other, unless the 

 young has been already formed ; in which case a larger hole 

 must be made in the side of the egg, and the contents removed 

 with a small hook. The hole should then be stopped up by 

 pasting a little gold-beater's leaf over it. At the Jardin des 

 Plantes, Paris, glove-leather, or linen, are used for this pur- 

 pose. The eggs are then either returned to their nest, in 

 which they ought to be cemented, or should be fixed down by- 

 one side to cards, with the name and locality attached. 



The best manner of conveying loose eggs to a distance, is 

 to put some cotton at the bottom of the nest, and then another 

 layer above them. The nests should all be put in separate 

 boxes if possible, and so packed that the pressure of the lid 

 may not injure the eggs, or a box with several compartments 

 should be used, taking care that each is carefully marked. It 

 would also be of consequence to have the nests attached to 

 the branches, with those species which build on trees, which 

 will enable us to trace the ingenious means employed by those 

 little animals in constructing their habitations. In sending 1 

 home specimens from a foreign country, the seams of the box 

 should be covered by pitched cloth to protect them from the 

 influence of moisture. 



In foreign countries, strict attention should be paid to the 

 different localities in which the various species construct their 

 nests, and the trees, or plants, or kinds of soil, carefully rio- 

 ted ; and also, whether the same species in variably fix upon 

 the same trees and soils for building, or what are the kinds of 

 trees or soil which they choose ; besides, whether the same 

 materials are invariably used. Ail these will throw light upon 

 some curious deductions that may be drawn from a contempla- 

 tion of this part of their economy. 



