CHAPTER XIII. 

 EGGS. 



' I ■'HE Eggs are given in this chapter by themselves, owing to their 

 -*- taking up less space in this way than they would do if sorted 

 out among the species. 



The list may also serve as a rough guide to identification, for 

 although eggs vary much, even when laid by the same hen, they yet 

 vary within certain limits, and the system of average is not so very 

 far out as far as size is concerned. But with regard to colour and 

 grain the difficulties are greater. At the outset, it is almost impossible 

 to describe colour accurately, even if the colour of eggs were 

 invariable, which it is not, and even if it were, we should have the 

 four stages that puzzle the collector still to deal with : the first, the 

 colour of the eggs in the nest; the second, the colour after they are 

 blown; the third, the colour after they have faded in a collection; and 

 the fourth, their colour as rendered by the chromo-lithographer ; 

 which are four very different things. And with grain the difficulties 

 are almost as great. At the same time, though we may not attain 

 accuracy, we may approach it sufficiently near to enable us to 

 distinguish one egg from another ; and to aid in this the eggs have 

 ^ere been classified into types. 



We have thus three clues to guide us, all three of which mjy be 

 of little value separately, but which will rarely fail us when used 

 together. It must be clearly borne in mind that the sizes given are 

 average sizes ; they have not been taken from any one book, but 

 have been worked out from actual measurement and many authorities, 

 and dealing as they do with hundredths of an inch, it is unlikely that 

 the order given will be found to apply to any one collection. But 

 where the size does not exactly fit in with a specimen, the colour and 

 type lend their aid towards a correct determination ; where the type 

 fails us, and it will often be found doubtful as to which type an egg 

 should be assigned to, the size and rolour will help ; when the colour 

 fails the size and type will save us from error. 



And with regard to colour it should be remembered that an »,gg is 

 of a plain tint to begin with, and that the pigment spots are applied 

 afterwards. These are normally circular, and as the egg is extruded 

 they are rubbed and blotched against the walls of the duct. They 

 are nearly always more numerous on the larger end of the egg, 

 which is the first to be extruded and the first to harden. The 



