Birds, 7197 



specimen, facilitated. The small end of a blowpipe (figs. 4 and 5) 

 should then be introduced, while the other extremity is applied to the 

 mouth, and blown through, at first very gently. If the embryo is 



Fig. 18. Fig. 19. 



found to be moderately developed a stream of water should be intro- 

 duced by means of a syringe (fig. 8), and the egg then gently shaken, 

 after which the blowpipe may be again resorted to, until by the con- 

 tinued use of both instruments, aided by scissors (figs. 9 and 10), 

 hooks (figs. 11, 12 and 13), knives (figs. 14, 15 and 16), and forceps 

 (fig. 17), the contents are completely emptied. After this the egg 

 should be filled with water from the syringe, gently shaken, and blown 

 out, a process which is to be repeated until its interior is completely 

 cleansed, when it should be laid upon a pad of blotting paper or fine 

 cloth, with the hole downwards, its position on the pad or cloth being 

 occasionally changed until it is perfectly dry. During this time it 

 should be kept as much as possible from the light, especially from the 

 sunshine, as the colours are then more liable to fade than at any sub- 

 sequent time. In the case of very small eggs, when fresh the contents 

 may be sucked out by means of a bulbed tube (fig. 6), and the interior 

 afterwards rinsed out as before. It is always advisable, as far as pos- 

 sible, to avoid w'etting the outside of the shell, as the action of water 

 is apt to remove the " bloom," affect the colour, and in some cases 

 alter the crystallization of the shell ; consequently dirt stains or dung 

 spots should never be removed. While emptying the contents it is as 

 well to hold the egg over a basin of water to avoid breakage in case of 

 its slipping from the fingers. Should the yelk of the egg be dried up, 

 a small portion of carbonate of soda may be introduced (but with great 

 care that it does not touch the outer surface of the shell, in which case 

 the colour is likely to be affected), and then the egg filled with water 

 from the syringe, and left to stand a few hours with the hole upper- 

 most, after which the contents are found to be soluble, and are easily 

 removed by the blowpipe, assisted by one of the hooks. It is almost 



