VOL. I. 



SHARON, WIS., DECEMBER, 1888. 



NO. 12. 



INSTRUCTIONS FOR COLLECTING 

 BIRDS EOGS. 



BY J Y. NOllIUS. 



How to Keep an Egg-Register. 

 —An Egg-Register can be best kept on 

 ordinary foolscap paper, in the following 

 manner : Take a sheet of foolscap paper, 

 and rule a line lengthwise, about an 

 inch from the left hand side. This space 

 is for the date when the eggs are collect- 

 ed. Next rale a line half an inch to the 

 right of the former one and parallel with 

 it. This space for the name of the bird. 

 Next rale a line ^ in. to the right of form- 

 er one. This space is for the number of 

 eggs found in the nest, and how many 

 were broken in blowing. The remainder 

 of the space left unruled is intended for 

 remarks concerning the position of the 

 nest, how identified, materials of which 

 it is composed, &c. 



Blowing Eggs.- -Eggs are best emp- 

 tied of their contents, by means of a 

 drill, made for the purpose. By means 

 of this drill a hole is made in the side of 

 the egg, and one is sufficient.- The size 

 of the hole should be proportionate to 

 the egg, and the amount of incubation 

 it has undergone. To start a hole with 

 one of these drills, take a fine-pointed 

 needle and perforate the shell. Then 

 insert the drill gently and work it slowly, 

 as a too rapid motion is almost sure to 

 break the shell of fragile eggs. When 

 the hole is large enough, insert a hollow 

 straw, (in case of not having a tube 

 made for the purpose,) and blowtlirough 

 it gently. You will then perceive the 

 contents of the eggs slowly oozing out. 

 Too violent blowing will cause small 

 and delicate eggs to break. 



Those not having adriC can blow eggs 

 in the following manner: Make two holes 

 on the same side of the egg, near the 

 ends with a fine pointed needle, — the 

 hole near the large end of the egg being 

 the larger of the two. Then apply the 

 mouth to the smaller hole and give a 



gentle puff, and the contents of the egg 

 will ooze out of the larger hole. 



Large eggs should be rinsed out with 

 clean water, ( taking care not to get any 

 upon the shell, as it will sometimes re- 

 move the color, ) to prevent deconipostion 

 of any matter that may not have been 

 ejected by the blowing. This precaution 

 is not neceseary in eggs less than 1-* in- 

 ches long, unless they should contain 

 embryos, when they should be thorough- 

 ly rinsed out. And sometimes it is not 

 necessary to rinse out larger eggs when 

 they are perfectly fresh. 



When the egg has been incubated a 

 sufficient time to form an embryo, it will 

 be necessary to make a much larger hole 

 by which to empty the contents. No 

 matter how far the embryo is developed, 

 it is possible to empty the egg by mak 

 ing a large enough hole. 



Never make holes in the ends of the 

 egg for the purpose of emptying it, as 

 it ruins its appearance and pre vents ace ur- 

 ate measurements being taken of it. 

 When the holes are on the same side, 

 they do not injure the appearance of it, 

 as they do not show when the egg is 

 resting on that side, and consequently it 

 looks much better in the cabinet and is 

 ! more valuable. 



The principal accident to be avoided 

 i is crushing the egg between the finge rs 

 i while holding it. To avoid this hold the 

 ! egg very lightly between the thumb and 

 J fore-finger of the left hand, and then you 

 ' have the right hand free to operate with. 

 It is recommended to have a basin of 

 I water in front of you and to blow the 

 j eggs over it, and then if you should 

 j happen to drop them, the water will stop 

 ; the violence of the fall, and prevent them 

 from being broken. 



Most persons suppose that eggs are 



j very fragile things and are very difficult 



to blow. We can assure all such persons 



j that this is not the case, and that, with a 



little experience, any one can blow them 



neatly and without breaking them. 



