140 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



night. He was once interested in watching the nest of a Green 

 Woodpecker. On three mornings he visited the nest at 5.15 

 a.m., when he always found another egg deposited. On the 

 fourth morning he went at 4 a.m., when he found the bird 

 on, but no fresh egg; it had, however, been laid by 5.30 as 

 usual. He had always noticed, when out about six o'clock on 

 spring mornings, that nests he had previously found contained 

 another egg. 



This short discussion seems to have satisfied the gentlemen 

 who took part in it, although it left the matter in almost exactly 

 the same unsatisfactory condition as before; but I had become 

 a little interested in it, so I at once commenced to make a few 

 observations, which I have carried on as opportunity offered 

 until the present time, and which it is my intention to describe 

 in this paper. I may remark that this subject would doubtless 

 have been thoroughly worked out long ago had it not been for 

 the fact that many more difficulties surround it than are at first 

 sight apparent. In the first place, observations can only be 

 carried on at one period of the year ; it is necessary to live quite 

 in the country or in a large garden where many birds build ; the 

 nests should next be found, and should be visited in the evening, 

 and again by rights between four and five the next morning ; 

 ;t mid-day visit is also necessary, yet care must be taken not to 

 disturb the bird or go too often ; the nest, to afford opportunities 

 for observation, must be not too far removed from one's house, 

 and if each visit entails a stiff climb up a tree or a wade through 

 mud and water the difficulties are not lessened. 



These difficulties, then, must excuse the paucity of facts 

 collected, although they show approximately the laying-times of 

 about thirty different common inland birds. 1 have not thought 

 it desirable to give the localities, but I may state that they were 

 all in Essex, Yorkshire, or Sussex. 



On May 14th, 1880, an English Partridge laid an egg between 

 7 a.m. and 6.30 p.m. Next day the bird was on the nest at one 

 o'clock, and was, I believe, laying. A Moorhen, whose nest 

 I found at 8 a.m. on July 2nd, 1877, had two eggs, but by 5 p.m. 

 had three. No more were laid until 2 p.m. the next day, when 

 some one took the eggs, so I substituted three stones, and the next 

 day the bird laid another egg in the early part of the afternoon. 

 The following day there was no egg laid, but the day after one 



