Birds' Eggs 



birds and crows are of these. Just as we found white 

 eggs in open nests, so we find spotted eggs in concealed 

 nests. Nature would not be half so interesting if she did not 

 treat us to these apparent anomalies. The magpie, despite 

 its elaborate domed nest, lays spotted eggs ; the jackdaw, 

 which builds in holes, has very similar eggs. In both 

 these cases the eggs are much paler than those of closely 

 related birds which build in open nests, so it is reasonable 

 to suppose that with the passage of time there will arise 

 magpies and jackdaws capable of laying spotless eggs. 



A few words concerning the protective colouring of 

 eggs may not be out of place. Let us begin with those 

 of ground birds such as the nightjar, skylark and meadow- 

 pipit, all of which harmonise marvellously with their 

 surroundings, and those of the nightjar may serve as our 

 example. This bird has brought concealment to a fine 

 art ; even its manner of perching on a tree branch is 

 designed to render it as inconspicuous as possible. Other 

 birds perch across the branch. Not so the nightjar. 

 Selecting a broad branch, he perches along it, and, what 

 is more, crouches low upon it. In this position detection 

 is wellnigh impossible, he harmonises so well with his 

 surroundings. 



The female nightjar, often called the fern-owl from her 

 supposed resemblance to an owl and her habit of fre- 

 quenting bracken, lays two eggs upon the ground, usually 

 at the base of a fir-tree or under a furze bush, and sits 

 them closely. But even when the mother bird is disturbed, 

 her eggs so nearly resemble their surroundings that they 

 are adequately protected. Pure white, mottled and veined 

 with red-brown and grey, they are amongst the most 

 beautiful eggs of any British bird, and also some of the 

 most variable, no two being quite alike. Curiously, should 

 mishap overtake the first-laid eggs, the nightjar makes 

 another attempt at housekeeping, but this time she 

 lays only a single egg. 



Here, in imagination, we have two eggs before us. 



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