Sept. 1887.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



14:9 



shorter tube. My drills consist of iron wire 

 filed to an even and tapering point, and then 

 hardened. I use the common three sided file in 

 making them ; care must be taken not to make 

 the point too long or too stubby, as the former 

 is likely to break fragile eggs while drilling, 

 and the latter takes too long in drilling. Two 

 sizes are all that is needed; I use one two- 

 twentieths and three inches long, the other 

 four-twelfths by three inches long. The em- 

 bryo hook can be made of wire, and for small 

 eggs a pin hook will answer, but I would ad- 

 vise the purchase of one from some dealer, as 

 satisfactory ones are diflicult to make. Last 

 but not least, an ordinary sharp pointed needle 

 with a small wooden handle for starting the 

 hole before drilling. One in their way can 

 make instruments to suit their several require- 

 ments. 



Hold the egg by the ends (never by the sides), 

 make a hole with the needle at about the cen- 

 tre, then twirl the drill around till the hole is 

 of the desired size. You must not think be- 

 cause your drill is large that you must make 

 the hole the same size, for I will here state that 

 all fresh eggs, up to the size of a Cooper's 

 Hawk, can be blown through a hole no larger 

 than a common sized pin's head. The hole be- 

 ing drilled, hold the egg over a pan of water 

 with the hole down. 1 insert the blower some 

 distance in the hole, as the air is easier forced 

 to the top of the shell; at the same time draw- 

 ing the blower gently back and forth. The 

 contents of the egg adhers to the glass and 

 nearly as much can be removed in this way as 

 in blowing. After the contents are removed I 

 rinse the egg thoroughly, blowing out all the 

 water possible; wipe the egg off carefull}' and 

 place in a tray of meal or sand, with the hole 

 upwards until the inside has dried out. I have 

 tried cotton, blotting paper etc. without suc- 

 cess; I find no matter how thoroughly the egg 

 is rinsed that if the hole is placed down either 

 on cotton, blotting paper or anything else, you 

 may invariably expect to find a nick in your 

 egg upon removal. In case the egg contains 

 an embryo, the hole must necessarily be made 

 larger, but not nearly as large as one would 

 generally suppose. I have removed embryos 

 from Ked-tailed Hawk's eggs that were ad- 

 vanced at least seven-eighths of the incubation 

 through a hole not quite thi-ee thirty-seconds 

 of an inch. In small eggs great care must be 

 taken, as the more advanced the incubation the 

 more fragile the egg shell becomes. I never 

 take any sets in wliich the incubation is very 

 far advanced unless they happen to be rare 



specimens. In drilling eggs never make the 

 hole as large as the drill, as in passing the 

 point where the drill commences to taper you 

 will nick or (u-ack the egg nine cases out of ten. 

 Also remember in numbeiing your eggs to 

 make as small and neat a figure as possible. I 

 would rather have one finely pre|)ared and 

 numbered set than ten sets of the same species 

 prepared with large holes, nicks or large fig- 

 ures which are difficult to erase from some 



[The present writer has examined many sets 

 of eggs prepared bj^ Mr. Smith, and can bear tes- 

 timony to the beautiful manner in which they 

 were blown, and to the very small sized holes 

 used. His article shows how few and h(»w 

 simple his tools are, but most of our readers will 

 probably find it far more convenient to purchase 

 them ready made than to attempt to make 

 them.— J. P. N.] 



A Series of Eggs of the W^orm-eat- 

 ing Warbler. 



BY SAMUEL B. LAUD, WEST CEIESTEK, I'A. 



For the gratification of those who may be 

 curious to know the measurements etc. of a 

 large series, I take the following from my 1887 

 note-book, regarding the eggs of the Worm-eat- 

 ing Warbler, {Helminthotherus vermivurus) : 



First set taken May 24th. The nest was 

 placed under a laurel bush, and contained five 

 fresh eggs, which are marked over their entire 

 surface, particularly around the larger end, 

 with very small reddish spots. They measure 

 respectively .Gfx.51, .65 x .52, .G5x.51, .64 x 

 .51, 62, X.51. 



Second set taken same day. Nest at the foot 

 of a beech sapling on level ground. This set 

 numbered four eggs only. Incubation begun. 

 Their ground color is rather a clialky white 

 and lacks the usual creamy tint. They meas- 

 ure .69X.56, .72X.56, .70x.56, .70x.55. 



Third set, also taken the same day, contained 

 four eggs; nest and eggs very similar to the 

 first set. Measurements .69 x .55. .08 x .54, .68 

 X.53, .66X.54. 



Fourth set. May 26th. Under a bush, on 

 bank of small stream. Four eggs, marked 

 over their entire surface with bold blotches of 

 reddish-brown and lavender. They measuie 

 .67x.55, .69 x.53, .73x.55, .70x.55. 



Fifth set, taken same date, on steep hill-side 

 at foot of small beech tree ; five eggs, iu mark- 



