248 



NATURE STUDY IN SCHOOLS. 



pressing and rasping against the egg shell. See fig. 119 where I give a 

 figure of the head of the least tern, life size, and t is the egg tooth, as it 

 is called. At y is given an enlarged beak of the same specimen, where the 

 tooth can be more plainly seen. 



Fig- 119. 



N. Heal of Tern; A, till of adalt; Y, bill of young, enlarged; T, egg tootli. f 



I 



The bill of the little tern, -when it is in the egg, is proportionately 

 shorter, blunter and stouter than in the adult, partly that it may .not be in 



Fug. 120. 



Young of Audubon's Sheerwater. 



the way, and partly that it may be stronger and better fitted to break the 

 shell. 



In the young chicken, as can be seen by examination, the egg tooth 



