THE TIME OF DAY AT WHICH BIRDS LAY EGGS. 149 



evening and 9 a.m. the next day. In 1880 I believe a Greenfinch 

 laid about 7 a.m. In May, 1881, I had one under observation 

 which laid between 7 p.m. and 5 a.m. At the end of April last 

 another bird laid between the evening and L0 the next morning ; 

 at 10.15 a.m. on the 28th four birds had each laid an egg since 

 the previous evening; a few days later two other birds laid 

 between the evening and 9 the next morning. 



A Sparrow, in 1877, laid before 8 a.m. ; in 1880 one laid 

 between 7 p.m. and 5.30 a.m. ; in 1881 another laid between 

 7 p.m. and 5 a.m., but no more had been laid up to 11 o'clock 

 the following night. A Wren which I watched laid an egg, 

 I believe, during the night. On May 12th, 1881, I found a 

 Creeper on her nest (which I was watching), and I believe laying, 

 at 4.45 a.m. On April 19th last, at 5 a.m., there were two eggs 

 in a Nuthatch's nest, but five at the same hour on the 22nd, so 

 I conclude that the eggs were deposited before 5. Three Swallow's 

 eggs, watched in 1879, were laid some time during the night, 

 one before 6.45 and the other two before 9 a.m. In March, 1880, 

 a Eook's nest contained two eggs at 5 p.m. I did not visit it 

 next day, but the day after there were four at 10' a.m., and no 

 more up to 5 p.m., so that probably one had been laid early that 

 morning. 



On September 14th, 1879, a Eing Dove's nest had one egg at 

 5 p.m., but two at 5.45 next morning. On March 21st, 1880, 

 another nest had one egg at 3.30 p.m., but two at 8.45 next 

 morning. On May 26th, 1880, I found a Eing Dove's nest with 

 no eggs in the evening ; by 6 a.m. there was one egg, but no 

 more were laid up to 6 the following morning, although another 

 was deposited during that day. At 7.30 a.m. on July 4th, 1877, 

 there were two eggs in a Stock Dove's nest which had only con- 

 tained one the previous evening. At the same time I. found two 

 eggs in a hole that had contained none on the 2nd. Another bird 

 that had one egg at 3.15 p.m. one day, had no more at 7 next 

 morning, but had perhaps forsaken. At 7 a.m. on May 26th, 1880, 

 a Stock Dove had one egg, and no more up to 11.45 a.m. next 

 day, but at 6 p.m. there were two. On June 11th, 1880, a Turtle 

 Dove laid its first egg between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. I have 

 watched the tame Pigeons in our pigeon-house : one laid its 

 second egg between 12 and 4, another between 11 a.m. one 

 day and 10 the next, another between 9.45 and 4 p.m., while 



