74 A rAl'EU ON EGGS. 



former case, and would cause less coloration, less, at least, in 

 proportion to its inferior size. If the conical end passed first, 

 and after it the body of the ogg of gi-adually increasing size, 

 time would be allowed for gradual dilatation of the o\'iduct, so 

 that in tliis case there ought to be less marking even at the 

 blunt end than in the fonncr instance where this end burst 

 through first. 



The examination of a good collection of spotted eggs will show 

 to any one. 



First : That the large end is that which is the most commonly 

 spotted or otherwise marked, and that such marks are, as a ge- 

 neral rule, of a larger size, and of a deeper colour there than 

 elsewhere upon the surface of the egg. Hence it is concluded 

 that, in such cases, the large end was laid first. 



Second : That the sharp end, in a comparatively small number 

 of eggs, is that which is most marked, but it is usually not so 

 strongly marked as is the broad end of the eggs in the former 

 instance ; in such cases it is presumed that it was the sharp end 

 that first passed. 



Third : That in another set of eggs the spotted colouring, faint 

 or strong, is pretty equally distributed over the whole surface, not 

 being more decided at one end than the other ; so that it would 

 be difficult from such marks to determine which end had been 

 first extruded. 



Fourth : That in rare cases eggs are found which are more 

 strongly marked at both ends than in tlie intervening space. 



I have examined, with Mr. John Hancock, the eggs in his veiy 

 beautiful and valuable collection, and we found that by far the 

 greatest number of them arc most copiously and most strongly 

 marked at the large end. The whole may conveniently be ar- 

 ranged under the following five sections : — 



1 . Such as arc most marked at the large end. 



2. Such as are most marked at the small end. 



3. Such as are most marked at both ends. 



4. Such luj arc marked more or less all over, or not more at 

 one than at the other end. 



