DOVES 9 
said in favour of the dove’s method, for, other things 
being equal, the more pronounced the structure of the 
nest, the more conspicuous is it likely to be. In this 
Spartan nursery the dove lays two white eggs. Seen 
from below, they may be mistaken for the sky, but 
from above, they are presumably somewhat con- 
spicuous. The owners of the nest, however, keep a 
close watch over the nest, and doves, in spite of their 
reputed gentleness, are quite able to drive off most 
adversaries, 
One reads much about the protective colouration of 
birds’ eggs, and many are doubtless coloured so as to 
be inconspicuous in the nest or place where they are 
laid. But it seems to me that the theory of protective 
colouration is usually carried too far. This is a subject 
to which I shall have occasion to again and again refer. 
When there are eggs in the nest most birds keep near 
it, and show themselves ready to fight any would-be 
thieves. It is, I believe, upon this characteristic of the 
owners of the nest, rather than the colouring of the 
eggs, that the protection of these latter depends. Few 
birds will dare to rob the nest of even a smaller bird 
if the owner shows that he means fight. Under such 
circumstances a great kite will fly ignominiously from 
a pair of diminutive king-crows. An ounce of good 
solid pugnacity is a more useful weapon in the struggle 
for existence than many pounds of protective colouring. 
