EGGS OF BIRDS. 



161 



neck white on the fore part, marked with ferruginous spots ; sides of 

 the body marked the same ; the back of the neck and upper parts of the 

 body brown ; some of the secondary quill-feathers and wing- coverts next 

 the body white. The female, in general, is not so full of feathers on 

 the head. 



Inhabits the fens of Lincolnshire, where it breeds ; lays four or five 

 white eggs on a floating- *(?)* nest. Feeds on fish and water plants. Is 

 sometimes found in the winter in the inlets and rivers on the coast. 

 Found in the north of Europe, in Iceland, and Siberia. 



EASTERLING. — A name for the Smew. 



EBB. — A name for the Bunting-. 



EGGS OF BIRDS. — By experiment it appears that birds do not 

 instinctively know the necessary time of incubation ; for we have 

 repeatedly taken the eggs of a bird unincubated, and placed them under 

 another of the same species, who was on the point of hatching-, and vice 

 versa, those on the point of hatching into the nest of such who had only 

 began to sit ; and in both cases the young were brought to maturity. 

 Birds will sometimes discriminate the egg of another species put into 

 their nest, and will turn it out ; but they will frequently breed up the 

 young of another when exchanged, provided they are of the same age, 

 and not very large when the experiment is made. 



Those who suppose a bird capable of producing eggs at will, or that 

 any bird is excited to lay more eggs than usual by daily robbing their 

 nest, are certainly mistaken. In a domesticated fowl it is probable the 

 desire of incubation may be prolonged by leaving little or nothing in the 

 nest to sit on. It will therefore lay the number allotted by nature, 

 which is determined before the first egg is produced. If it is prevented 

 from incubation by any means whatever, it may begin again to lay in 

 five or six days ; but there is always an interval of a few days, and some- 

 times as many weeks, which must wholly depend on the age and vigour 

 of the bird. When it happens that a fresh lot of eggs is laid with only 

 a few days' interval, and that perhaps in the same nest, it is deemed a con- 

 tinuation, for want of nice observation ; but we are not to look to domes- 

 ticated animals for natural causes, for those are taken from their state 

 of nature. Let us look to the birds in their natural wild state, and see 

 if any well-attested instances are to be found where they have laid more 

 eggs successively, by taking one from the nest daily. For instance, the 

 number laid by a hedge-sparrow is commonly five, sometimes only four, 

 and rarely six ; will the taking away the daily -laid egg produce a seventh 

 or an eighth ? No : we believe there never was an instance ; at least 

 we have never been fortunate enough to discover one in the great 



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