464 



14 



coarser in the grain of the shell, and has more, larger, darker, and less regularly distributed 

 spots, which are often collected at the larger end, and furthermore the small dots are wanting, 

 and the shell has not so polished an appearance. 



" The other species is the Magpie, pale and small eggs of which bird approach, at times, in 

 appearance those of tbe Nutcracker ; but the shell of these is stouter, coarse-grained, and has 

 elongated furrows, the ground-colour is darker, the shell-markings richer in tone, the small dots 

 are absent, the surface-spots are larger and more unevenly distributed, and the shell is not so 

 polished. Eggs I saw in Paris, which came from the Pyrenees, and were said to be those of 

 the Nutcracker, appear to me to be merely varieties of those of the Magpie ; and I should say 

 that those figured in Baedeker's work, ' Die Eier der europaischen Vogel,' are likewise Magpie's 

 eggs, as they are much darker in colour than authentic Nutcracker's eggs and are also more 

 spotted, the spots being irregularly distributed, and there appears to be a total absence of the 

 small dots. 



" The young birds have the legs brownish grey, and not black as in the adult. In their 

 stomachs I found portions of nut-kernels and insects ; and near the nests I always found a small 

 heap of nut-shells, all split from the pointed end ; most of them being fresh, they could not have 

 been there long ; and from this circumstance I judge that the Nutcracker stores up food for the 

 winter in well sheltered places." 



As comparatively so little has hitherto been known respecting the nidification of the Nut- 

 cracker, I will offer no excuse for adding in detail a translation of some excellent notes published 

 by Mr. Vogel, and lately sent to me. This gentleman, who found this bird breeding in the 

 Jura, Canton Solothurn, Switzerland, writes (Die Fortpfl. des Tannenh. St. Gallen, 1873) as 

 follows: — "In tbe unusually favourable spring of 1868 I at last succeeded, after some trouble 

 and exertion, in finding a pair of birds, which by their continued restlessness and calling drew 

 our attention to them ; the locality was a precipice in the Jura chain, about a thousand feet 

 above the valley, where the forest was mixed conifer and deciduous growth. These birds, which 

 were carefully watched, soon became quieter, and commenced making the foundation of their 

 nest. For this purpose they made use of dry dead twigs ; and the noise they made in breaking 

 them off, which in the dead stillness of the forest could be heard at a great distance, kept my 

 clever collector continually on the track of the birds when busy with the construction of their 

 nest. As soon as they had broken off a suitable twig they flew silently up the mountain further 

 than the eye could reach, and always returned by the same way to procure more material. 

 After earnest and careful watching, following them step by step, now losing the track and again 

 taking up the clue, we at last approached the nesting-place, which was about a mile distant, and 

 soon discovered the pine tree on which the nest was being built. I then, however, avoided 

 visiting the tree so as to avoid disturbing the birds and thus making them forsake the nest. 



" On the 15 th of March the nest contained four eggs ; and several days later, as no more 

 were deposited, it was taken. I did not dare to peril by too eager curiosity this the first 

 oological treasure placed before me ; and it seems that I was right; for in 1869, the season being 

 unfavourable, neither nest nor eggs were obtained: and it seemed as if in 1870 we should have 

 the same bad luck ; but about the middle of May a nest with eggs was discovered and brought to 

 me. In 1872, however, I was unusually fortunate, as I discovered four nests, and could then 



