87 
fit to receive it, into whieh one egg only 
is dropped,* and other nests to seek, for 
the like purpose, it becomes not only a 
work of labour, but of hazard and uncer- 
tainty, therefore, did it not possess such a 
qualification, we should conceive the diffi- 
culties it had to encounter were too nume- 
rous to ensure a continuation of its species. 
Suppose this bird was obliged, like others, 
to lay its eggs successively day after day, 
which we believe to be Jive or six, it is 
hardly probable that fiveor six nests should 
be found in a state proper to receive them, 
much less if she had a greater number." 
In a paper published in the seventy 
eighth volume of the Transactions of the 
Royal Society, may be seen an elaborate 
description of the ceconomy of this bird in 
the singular disposal of its eggs, &e., but 
as the account is much too long for our 
insertion in this place, and as it has been 
repeatedly alluded to in other publications 
we must refer our readers to that work. 
We have previously enumerated the 
birds in the nests of which the eggs or 
* Where two have been found in one nest, they certainly 
*ere laid by different birds. 
