BIEDS' NESTS. 21 



or two only, the parent bird will continue her 

 care of the rest, and you will have opportu- 

 nities of determining the kind to which they 

 belong. And as unnamed eggs in a collection 

 are comparatively valueless, it will be far 

 better worth your while to take but one, and 

 to come back and watch the old bird, than to 

 take all, and not know what they are. 



And if your object be to study the habits 

 of birds generally, you will, by leaving the 

 nest, have the opportunity of observing for 

 yourself how many eggs the bird lays ; how 

 long she sits ; whether the male bird assists at 

 incubation ; whether he sings in the neighbour- 

 hood ; whether the hen sits close, or is easily 

 scared away; how often and with what the 

 young are fed ; whether the old birds leave 

 them to shift for themselves as soon as they 

 have left the nest, or continue to watch them 

 after they are fledged ; in short, to take really 

 valuable notes in Natural History. 



It would seem then, that, on the score of 



