150 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



another bird laid its first egg between the evening and 9.45 

 next morning. 



These observations seem to show that the Pigeons all lay 

 their eggs about the same time of day; the second egg being 

 deposited at a different hour from the first — the latter early 

 in the morning and the former early in the afternoon of the 

 next day. 



The observations further show, I think, that each species of 

 bird has a special hour of the twenty-four at which it lays its 

 egg, and that birds belonging to the same genus have often just 

 about the same hour. Most of our small birds — warblers, finches, 

 and the like — seem to deposit their eggs at some time in the 

 early morning; the TurdicUe at about 10 or 11 in the forenoon, 

 and some other species about mid-day. 



Nevertheless these statements do not invariably hold good, 

 as reference to the foregoing paragraphs will show. Sometimes 

 birds are an hour or two later, or occasionally earlier, than their 

 usual time, while sometimes they miss a day altogether. Cold 

 also retards or prevents laying. Thus, in the middle of April, 

 1879, there came some very cold weather, with sharp frosts 

 and snow several inches deep, and a Blackbird in our garden 

 commenced to sit on two eggs. The snow pressed upon the 

 nest and all but overturned it, but I put it back in position, 

 and the old bird continued sitting, considerably to my astonish- 

 ment. 



Assuming that Dr. Saxby meant a.m. instead of •p.m. his 

 observations, above quoted, although they differ from mine, may 

 be correct for the high northern locality in which they were 

 presumably made, namely, Shetland. 



I need not point out on how small a number of birds my 

 observations have been made, nor how many genera there are 

 on which I have not at present a single observation. I offer 

 these few facts, however, such as they are, in the hope that 

 they may be of use to others who may be glad to pursue the 

 enquiry further. 



