warm) through the syringe will loosen them so that they can be easily 
removed, and they can be separated from one another and dried to 
serve another time. The size represented in the sketch is that suitable 
for an egg of moderate dimension* such as that of a Common Fowl. 
The most effectual way of adopting this method of emptying eggs 
is by using very many layers of thin paper and plenty of thick gum, 
but this is of course the most tedious. Nevertheless it is quite worth 
the trouble in the case of really rare specimens, and they will be none 
the worse lor operating upon from the delay of a few days, caused by 
waiting for the gum to dry and harden. The naturalist to whom this 
method first occurred has found it answer remarkably well in every 
case that it has been used, from the egg of an Eagle to that of a 
Humming Bird, and among English Oologists it has been generally 
adopted. 
The surest method of packing eggs so as to travel long distances 
and by rough modes of conveyance without receiving injury is to roll 
up each specimen separately in tow, flax, wool, or some similar material, 
so as to form a ball, and then to place these balls side by side in a 
good stout box, taking care that there be no room for them to shift 
their position. Those to whom this method may appear too trouble¬ 
some are recommended first to put a layer of one of the substances 
just mentioned at the bottom of the box, then a layer of eggs, upon 
these another layer of packing material, and so on until the box is 
completely filled. The box should then be shaken, and if any rattling 
of the contents is heard additional packing material is required. More 
breakages occur by the use of boxes too large for the number of eggs 
than the contrary. As a general rule it may be stated that eggs if blown 
do not break against one another, but against the sides of thebox ; if 
unblown, however, their weight renders it necessary to protect them from 
each other. On the other hand,the surest method of packing eggs so 
that they may arrive at their journey’s end broken is one which, though 
of course with the contrary intention, has often been recommended,?;^., 
to place them in a box, filling up the interstices between them with 
bran, sawdust, corn or sand. The effects of this method are in one 
respect diverse; if the eggs be unblown they will, after sufficient jolting, 
be found at the bottom, if blown at the top of the box, but in either 
case the result will be the same, and many be smashed. There is, 
perhaps, no greater annoyance to an Oologist than to receive" from a 
correspondent a lot perhaps of valuable and carefully collected eggs 
broken through bad packing. 
