332 HOMES WITHOUT HANDS. 



fertile homes of insects and various vermin, and that they ought 

 to be placed in a box with spirits of turpentine for some weeks, 

 and then exposed to strong heat, before the possessor can be sure 

 that all existing insects are dead, and their eggs addled. 



The number of eggs is rather variable, but is always great, 

 and on an average, some ten or twelve eggs can be found in a 

 nest. They are so small and so fragile that the novice finds 

 great difficulty in emptying them without breaking their delicate 

 shells. This task may, however, be accomplished with perfect 

 ease and safety if managed in the right way. Each egg should 

 be enveloped in repeated wrappers of silver paper, soaked in a 

 solution of gum arable, one layer being allowed to dry before 

 the next is added. "When they are dry, a little hole is easily 

 drilled on one side by means of a needle, the contents of the egg 

 are then broken up with the same needle, and are then washed 

 out by injecting water through a very delicate glass tube. Any 

 one can make these slender tubes by merely taking a piece of 

 ordinary glass tubing, heating it in a spirit lamp, and drawing 

 the ends apart. It may then be broken off to form a tube of 

 any degree of fineness, and by alternate injection of water and 

 sucking the diluted contents into the tube, the egg will soon be 

 emptied. 



We have another well-known bird, which makes a nest as well 

 domed as that of the long-tailed titmouse, though not nearly so 

 pretty nor so elegant. This is the common Magpie (Pica cau- 

 data) which is one of the very handsomest birds that are indi- 

 genous to England. Popularly, the Magpie is thought to be only 

 black and white; in reality there is scarcely a black feather 

 about the bird, its plumage being adorned with steel blue, green, 

 and purple of such intensity that, in certain lights they appear 

 to be jetty black. I may here mention that the wings and tail 

 of the Magpie can be made into beautiful fire-screens, which are 

 light and elegant as well as brilliantly coloured. 



The nest of the Magpie is of very large size when compared 

 with the dimensions of the architect, probably on account of the 

 long tail of the mother bird, which cannot be protruded over the 

 edge of the nest, as is the case with many long-tailed birds. It 

 is not merely made of moss and similar soft substances, but the 

 framework is very strongly constructed of sticks, among which 



