USE OP BLOW-PIPE DRYING. 39 



steady, a very, very gentle one ; a strong puff easily 

 bursts a delicate egg. A suitably bent wire should 

 be provided for cleaning the blow-pipe, which should 

 also be kept corked at both ends, when not in use, 

 to prevent its becoming clogged with dust. 



Blow-pipes are best made of nickel, and the bent 

 form is more convenient, and hence safer and better, 

 than the straight. They should be as light as pos- 

 sible, smooth on the outside toward the point, and 

 the orifice should be as large as the diameter of the 

 tube will permit. Two sizes are recommended, since 

 a small pipe, suitable for little eggs, causes loss of 

 time in blowing large ones ; for eggs as big as a gull's, 

 a common jeweller's blow-pipe will answer very well. 



Experience will teach one how he may empty the 

 smaller eggs without quite inserting the blow-pipe, 

 and with greater safety. A good plan sometimes is 

 to force water into the egg through the pipe. 



PERFECTING THE PROCESS. 



After all the contents of the egg have been re- 

 moved, rinse the shell thoroughly and dry it at 

 once. The rinsing and drying are both important, 

 and should be done carefully. For the latter pur- 

 pose do not use a layer of sand or meal, since, in ab- 

 sorbing the moisture, these substances are likely to 



