io6 Darwin and Romanes dealt with. 



which, however, it is not. It would take the female 

 too long from the nest at once to carry out ten or a 

 dozen pieces of egg-shell. Some birds come much 

 nearer to simultaneous hatching than others ; but, 

 simultaneous hatching in the absolute sense is not 

 existent. 



Why, Mr. James S. Gould, in My Canary Book, 

 following BufFon and Bechstein, writes : 



" All you need to do is, when the nest is finished, 

 to open the side door of the nest-box quietly, and 

 ascertain when the first egg is laid. Do not touch it 

 on any account. Never use ivory eggs, one by one, 

 to replace the eggs until they are all laid. Let 

 Nature alone. The birds ought not to be all hatched 

 at one time." 



And Buffon long ago gave the reason : " The plan 

 of removing the eggs so as to have them all hatched 

 at once is unnatural and bad because it causes the 

 mother a greater loss of heat, and burdens her at 

 once with five or six little ones, which coming together 

 disturb rather than please her ; whilst in seeing them 

 hatched successively one after the other her pleasure 

 is increased and her strength and courage better 

 supported." 



And this, even in cases where the male assists the 

 female in brooding. Again, in a large number of 

 cases, it is very well known how strict the cock is in 

 hunting the hen back to the nest, and this more 

 especially after the first of the eggs have been 

 hatched, as though the very sight of the breathing 

 hving things added greatly to his jealousy of the nest 

 and watchful care of it. 



As regards intervals between layings, several of 



