20 BIRDS' NESTS. 



a firm resolution to do nothing that your con- 

 science tells you is cruel, either by destroying 

 a nest, robbing it of its contents, or ill-treating 

 the young birds. 



In the second place, supposing that your 

 object is to collect as many varieties as possible 

 of each kind of egg ; you will attain this, not 

 by cruelly carrying off all the contents of 

 every nest that you may find, but by selecting 

 from each any one egg that differs materially 

 from the specimens you already have. You 

 may thus go on continually adding to your 

 collection, and yet keep it within reasonable 

 limits. 



Again, you will frequently find eggs, which 

 no plates or written descriptions will enable 

 you to name with certainty. It is absolutely 

 necessary that you should see the old bird 

 either sitting on them, or leaving them. If 

 you find a nest of such eggs, and take them 

 all away, you deprive yourself of all chance of 

 learning what they are ; but if you take one 



