Birds. 863 



Enquiry relative to the Staining of the Eggs of the Dabchick. 

 By the Rev. C. A. Bury, B.A. 



There is a point in the history of the dabchick which, as it appears 

 to me, requires elucidation. Mr. Atkinson, in his instructive notice 

 of the habits of this bird (Zool. 497), admits the difficulty to which 

 I allude, viz. : the colouring of the eggs during incubation. He 

 writes : " I omit most of my remarks relative to the colouring of the 

 eggs, which is, however, a very curious subject ; for to what cause is 

 it due ? Not to mud (see Yarrell in loco) certainly in this case, for 

 the soil adjacent is chiefly sand upon chalk : nor do I think it 

 likely that, in any case, mud has aught to do with this colouring ; 

 for the dakchick is so poor a walker, or rather hopper (its movements 

 on land have been described to me as nearly resembling those of a 

 toad), that T imagine it would always so place its nest as to allow of 

 a passage into it directly from the water." The descriptions of Mr. 

 Atkinson and others warrant this hypothesis. It is pretty evident, 

 then, I think, that the colouring must be derived from the weeds ; 

 and in reply to Mr. Atkinson's question, " If the colour must be 

 ascribed to the weeds, is the dabchick's the only white egg so 

 affected ?" I would first remark that, although it is not the only one 

 that is so coloured, for the wild duck's is frequently so, more or less, 

 none with which I am acquainted are so deeply and permanently 

 stained with the colouring matter : and the first reason I would assign 

 for this is deduced from Mr, Atkinson's account. " The nest," he 

 writes, " seldom rose more than an inch or two above the water ;" 

 and again, " They (the nests) were generally quite soaked with water, 

 and the least depression by the hand, or otherwise, caused the water 

 to rise in them." Here, then, as it appears to me, are almost grounds 

 sufficient to account for this peculiarity. The nest is formed of 

 weeds or rushes ; and these weeds or rushes, on which the eggs 

 repose, must, from being constantly saturated with water, be in a 

 state of decomposition. The pressure of the egg upon this mass of 

 decaying vegetable matter, would certainly impart a stain ; and if the 

 dabchick, like other birds, frequently turns her eggs, it is perfectly 

 intelligible how the whole egg becomes stained. 



But I have another solution of the difficulty to offer, to which I 

 particularly request Mr. Atkinson's attention. That gentleman has 

 so accurately observed the habits of this bird, and commands such 

 admirable opportunities for observing them, that it will be easy for 



