Coloured illustrations of the eggs of British birds

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Introduction

An anxious wish to add a portion, however humble, towards the illustration of those glorious works from which I have myself derived such abundant pleasure, together with a desire to impart to others a portion of such pleasure, led to the pro¬ duction of the present work; and however deficient in its ac¬ complishment, should it be the means of turning the attention of any to the pursuit of Natural History, my object will have been fully gained, and I shall have the happiness of knowing, that I have been partly the means of adding many a bright hour to their lives ; feeling, as I do, firmly convinced, that next to those pleasures to be derived from the discharge of more important duties, there is no pursuit so calculated to im¬ part the purest sensations of delight, and at the same time to elevate the mind; there is not a pursuit which diffuses the same serenity over the feelings, which soothes us in the hour of trouble, and which, when other pleasures flit away, continues to afford such undiminished enjoyment to the last. For my own part, that taste for Natural History which I have enjoyed from the earliest recollection, and which I regard as one of the choicest gifts of Providence, has proved to me an inestimable blessing. To its influence I owe all the brighter hours of my life ; whether, in the full enjoyment of health and happiness, I have trod the green fields, in the joyous spring, delighted with the early flowers and the first song of the Sky Lark ; or have wandered as a school-boy through the woods, “to pull the flower so gayor in the autumn of the year have traversed the heathery mountains, when purpled o’er with blossoms, to watch the flight of the moor bird, and listen to the busy hum

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INTRODUCTION.

of a thousand bees; that taste has brightened every beautiful object in nature, and added a zest to every pleasure.

It is with a satisfaction unalloyed by any unpleasant feel¬ ings, that the lover of nature looks back upon and retraces in his memory the many happy hours which he has spent in the pursuit of his favourite object. Never shall I forget the first dawning of a love for nature upon my mind, as its various beautiful objects came crowding upon my notice—“wonders yet to me nor that strange feeling of delight which I have experienced from the capture of some long-chased butterfly, or the discovery of the nest of some then unknown bird.

However unimportant in itself the branch of Natural His¬ tory which I have attempted to elucidate, the beautiful and varied objects which compose it, are amongst the first to excite the imagination, and call forth in boyhood those feelings, that love for nature, which are inherent in us all; and however the cares or the pleasures of after life may have erased those earlier feelings, there are few who have not one day derived pleasur¬ able emotions from their contemplation, and who do not re¬ member those joyous times when, at the first breaking loose from school, they have hastened to the wood and the hedge¬ row, in search of their painted prize.

Few can have failed to notice that wonderful and all-absorb¬ ing feeling of anxiety, that utter disregard of self, which, during the breeding season, produces so remarkable a change in the nature of many of our birds : converting that wariness for which they are at other times remarkable, into the most heed¬ less disregard of danger.

Numerous anecdotes are related of the devotedness of the Partridge, and other species of birds, in the protection of their young.

The Misletoe Thrush, usually so shy, seeks the immediate neighbourhood of our houses during the season of incubation, rears its young ones within sight of our windows, and spreads terror amongst the rest of the feathered race by its pugnacious persecution of all intruders.

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I have elsewhere noticed the assiduity with which the Eider Duck covers its eggs.

Many of the smaller birds will allow themselves to be taken in the hand, rather than leave their nests. Some have been even known, upon having their young ones taken from them, to follow them into captivity.

The obstinate perseverance with which the Blue Titmouse continues to rebuild its nest, although it has been repeatedly destroyed, is very remarkable; and still more so the pertina¬ city with which it continues to sit its eggs, in defiance of all intrusion; and to retain possession of the hole in which they were placed, sometimes for days after they have been taken from it.

Notwithstanding the numerous accounts we hear of the fecundity of some of our smaller birds, I am much inclined to think that their powers of incubation have been overrated, and that the usual number of eggs only, which it is allotted them to lay, are sufficiently developed to be brought to ma¬ turity at one time. Those birds, however, which under ordi¬ nary circumstances would only breed once a year, have never¬ theless, if deprived of their eggs, the power of producing, a short time afterwards, a second and even a third set; but usually diminished in their numbers, as well as in their size.

That the colouring of birds’ eggs is an animal matter, and dependent upon the health of the bird, there can be little doubt. The day previous to the eggs being produced, and after the shell has become hard, they are, in those birds which I have examined, pure white; a large proportion of the colour is also easily rubbed off, for some time after they have been laid. Thus we find in their eggs the same want of colour, which is also occasionally observable in the feathers of white varieties of birds. Fear, or any thing which may affect the animal functions, exerts its influence upon the colour also. The eggs of birds which I have captured on their nests, during the time that they were laying, and kept in close con¬ finement, have thus been deprived of much of their colour.

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• • •

Vlll

That the varied and beautiful hues which adorn the eggs of birds, are given them by the God of nature, as a protection from discovery and destruction, by resembling the various suifaces upon which they are deposited (as stated by M. Glogei, a German naturalist), when taken as a general rule, I am by no means ready to admit. On the other hand, I am prepared to show, that such precautions would be for the most part un¬ necessary and superfluous.

By far the most numerous class of birds are those which build in trees or bushes, and at an elevation from the ground; and the nest—which then forms the object of search and de¬ tection—being once discovered, further precaution to conceal the eggs would be of no avail : and on this account we find such an instinctive anxiety amongst the feathered race to con¬ ceal and protect the homes of their future offspring. I could quote a number of instances, any of which are sufficient to excite our wonder and admiration. Who has ever discovered the nest of the Common Wren, concealed and buried as it is amongst the same material of which it is itself constructed, without a feeling of pleasure and surprise 1 I have frequently seen it let into the hollow of some moss-clad stump, or so nicely woven into the side of a clover stack, when, had it not been for the small round hole of entrance, discovery would have been perfectly evaded.

The nest of the Chaffinch is little less worthy of remark ; built upon the branch of some tree clothed with lichens, it is covered with the same material. Those birds which, from the large size of their nests, are prevented from thus concealing them, have recourse to other means of protection. The Hawk, the Crow, and the Magpie, place theirs in places difficult of access; the nest of the latter being defended besides by a roof of thorns, which is not easily penetrated.

That there are several instances in which the eggs of birds are admirably adapted to, and closely resemble in colour, the ground upon which they are deposited, [ have frequently found, much to my annoyance, when in search of them; and these are

INTRODUCTION.

IX just the instances where such protection is most necessary, and where contrasting colours would lead to their detection ; such is the case amongst those birds which, making little or no nest, deposit their eggs, for the most part, upon the bare ground, or the shingle of the sea beach, and leave them uncovered on the least alarm. Of these are the Ring Dotterel, Oyster Catcher, the Sandpipers, Peewit, and the Terns, especially the Lesser. Amongst the other ground builders, the safety of the eggs consists in the careful and constant assiduity with which they are covered by the female; and more so in the adaptation of the bird’s feathers than its eggs, to the colour of the sur¬ rounding surface ; as the dull and very similar colouring of the females of nearly all the Duck tribe, of the hen Pheasant, and the Grey Hen (Tetrao Tetrix), — so strongly as they are contrasted too with the brighter colours of their mates, which do not assist in incubation,—will illustrate most ad¬ mirably. Were I to mention those birds, the eggs of which do not bear any resemblance to the surface on which they are deposited, I should have to enumerate much the greater portion of our British Birds. Who will say that there is any resemblance whatever in colour, between the clear blue eggs of the Thrush, and the mud-lined interior of its nest ? Neither do the bright blue eggs of the Hedge Sparrow bear much more resemblance to the nest. What likeness do the eggs of the Swans, the Geese, the Harriers, and the nume¬ rous species of Ducks (all white, or nearly so), bear to the ground upon which they are placed ? and why, if their colours only are intended for their concealment, are eggs so entirely different in that respect, placed in situations per¬ fectly alike ?

It may be asked, for what purpose then are these beautiful colours lavished so abundantly? For the same purpose for which they adorn the plumes of the humming-bird, or the wing of the resplendent butterfly—to gladden our eyes, “To minister delight to man, to beautify the earth.” And thus it is that the eggs of nearly all those birds (the Owls, Kingfisher, Bee-eater, Boiler, Nuthatch, and the Woodpecker), which con-

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INTRODUCTION.

ceal them in holes, are white, because in such situations colour would be displayed to no purpose.

The n um ber of eggs laid by various tribes of birds, as well as by the different genera of the same family, vary much. The more typical species of these are, however, for the most part nearly alike in this respect. In every instance we shall find the same beneficent influence acting for our welfare; in¬ creasing rapidly those species which are of the greatest use to us, and bestowing upon those intended for our more immediate benefit, a most wonderful power of ovo-production; and at the same time curtailing in their numbers those species which, in their greater increase, would soon become injurious to us. Most of the Rasores, which, as game, form so agreeable an addition to our table, as well as the Duck tribe, lay numerous eggs. Some of the Warblers, and the various species of Titmice, which render us such essential service in the destruction of the numerous insects which would otherwise become a nui¬ sance, are unusually prolific.

In their relative sizes, the eggs of birds differ in a remark¬ able degree from each other, as I have shown, when describing those of the Guillemot; and this will be seen by comparing those of a few species. The Guillemot and the Raven are themselves of about equal size; their eggs vary as ten to one. The Snipe and the Blackbird differ but slightly in weight; their eggs remarkably. The egg of the Curlew is six or eight times as large as that of the Rook ; the birds are of about the same size. The eggs of the Guillemot are as big as those of an Eagle; whilst those of the Snipe equal in size the eggs of the Partridge and the Pigeon. The four eggs of the Jack Snipe weigh nearly as much as the bird itself. The reason of this great disparity in size is, however, obvious ; the eggs of all those birds which quit the nest soon after they are hatched, and which are consequently more fully developed at their birth, are very large, and yet so admirably formed to occupy the least possible space, that the Snipe has no more difficulty in covering its eggs, though apparently so dispropor¬ tionate, than the Thrush or the Blackbird.

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As I have elsewhere remarked, much useful and highly in¬ teresting information might be gained towards the classification of birds, by paying some attention to their eggs; and it is very gratifying to find, in thus regarding them, that, with the ex¬ ception of a few instances, were we to take the eggs of our British birds as our only guide, we should arrive at the best and most approved arrangement of the different genera. All those new genera which have been lately adopted, are clearly indicated in the difference of their eggs, and in none more than in those of the Snow Bunting and the Bearded Titmouse ; the former of which was associated with the genus Emberiza, the latter with that of Parus; the very great similarity which the eggs of each of these genera (Emberiza and Parus) bear to each other, at once pointing out the intruders. I would not, however, have any one place too implicit reliance on the character of their eggs for the arrangement of the birds. There are puzzling instances in which, by so doing, we should be led into error, and be tempted to place apart from each other the eggs of the Pied and Spotted Flycatchers, the Common and Tythis Bedstarts, and to separate those of the Common and Misletoe Thrush from the rest of the genus, the Swallow from the Martin and the Swift, the Little Bittern from the more common species, and the Woodcock from the Snipe; and placing too much reliance upon those minute differences which serve so beautifully to connect and represent neighbouring genera, we should be led into a similar mistake with regard to the eggs of the Pied Wagtail, the Grasshopper Warbler, the Wood Wren, and the Wheat ear.

The generic characters of eggs are in some cases as dis¬ tinctly marked in contour and in colour as are the birds them¬ selves. Any one would immediately recognize the close affinity which those of the different species of Crows bear to each other, as also those of the Owls, the Ducks, the Divers, the Buntings, the Titmice, the Sea Gulls, and the Terns, greatly as the latter differ individually. In shape, the eggs of the Grebes are very peculiar, as are those of the more typical waders. This affinity

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is not confined to genera only, but may be traced, more or less, in most of the families, and is very remarkable throughout the Scolopacidse, the eggs of which are much pointed at the smaller end, and almost invariably four in number.

There is too, in many genera, a beautiful analogical resem¬ blance with others nearly allied to them. The Eagles and Hawk tribe (nearly all of which breed aloft) approach by the genus Circus, which breeds upon the ground and lays eggs which are white or nearly so, that section of the Owls which is the most Hawk-like, the species of which also, departing from the habits of the rest of their family, breed,upon the ground. The eggs of the following genera, Corvus, Fregilus, Pica, and Garrulus, are all closely allied, as are those of the Poller, Merops, and Alcedo.

Eggs are subject to much variety, and are not without those apparent discrepancies which beset the study of other branches of Natural History, and which are only to be reconciled by oft-repeated observation, and by combining with their study a knowledge of the nests in which they are found. And thus, as regards the different species of a genus : although the eggs of some of the Thrushes usually bear but slight resemblance to each other in colour, we shall find upon a closer acquaintance with them, that there are other connecting links. The nests of all the species are much alike, each being strongly cemented with clay; and much as the eggs of the Common Thrush and the Blackbird appear to differ at first sight, they nevertheless run imperceptibly into each other, in some of their varieties. T have seen eggs of both species, of a clear spotless blue. My friend, Mr. Henry Doubleday, one year found several nests of the Blackbird, at Epping, in one locality, the eggs of which were all of this description ; a variety perpetuated, probably, through the several individuals of the same family. Eggs of the Wheatear are occasionally spotted like those of the allied species, and eggs of the Spotted Flycatcher, as well as those of the Pied, are sometimes of a uniform unspotted blue. No one who has seen the nests of the Swallow and the House Martin

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(resembling each other as much as they differ from those of all other genera), will need to be told that they are closely allied, much as the eggs differ in colour.

With regard to birds of the same species, although the eggs of most of them are subject to more or less variety, some are constant, or nearly so, in their colouring, whilst others display an almost unceasing variety. Amongst the former, are those chiefly of one colour, to which may be added a few others, which seldom vary much. These are the Golden Oriole, Lesser Whitethroat, the various species of Titmice, Reed Bunting, Goldfinch, and Black Grouse. The eggs, on the other hand, which are subject to the greatest variety, are those of the Water Birds, the Gulls, Terns, Guillemots, &c. ; and of the land birds, the Red Grouse, the Rook and Carrion Crow, Yellow Bunting, and House Sparrow, and above all, the Tree Pipit. There is, notwithstanding, in all these a character, by which a little ex¬ perience will for the most part enable us to determine the species ; and though we might not readily believe the varieties of the eggs of the Tree Pipit to belong to the same species, we should have no difficulty in referring them to the right genus.

In other branches of Natural History the larger the series of specimens we have for comparison the more likely we are to arrive at a correct conclusion as to species. In Oology it is otherwise. The more we see of the eggs of the Waders and Water birds the more difficult it becomes to point out with certainty the demarcation of species, or to fix upon those which are the most typical. Colour and form alone are but unsafe guides.

In places where those materials are to be met with which instinct has taught individuals of the same species of bird to make use of in the construction of their nests, we shall usually find the same adopted. I know of no other bird which seems so much to consult its own taste in this respect, as the Common Wren. The materials of its nest are as different as the situa¬ tions in which it is placed. It may be found built entirely of clover, even in places where moss is abundant; its interior is

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INTRODUCTION.

also formed according to the taste of the owner, and is as often found without any lining at all, as it is thickly lined with feathers.

There are many instances in which circumstances have led to a deviation from the usual habit. Those Eagles and Hooded Crows inhabiting the Shetland Islands, which would build their nests of sticks, were such materials to be had, are there com¬ pelled to substitute the larger species of sea-weed. A Carrion Crow which resorted to the Fern Islands to breed, for the same reason (the absence of sticks), made its nest in a hole in the ground, surrounding it, to give it sufficient depth, with a wall of sods.

There are a few deviations from the usual instinct, which, not being influenced by local causes, are very remarkable; and in no instance which has come under my notice, more so than in the nest of a Blackbird, sent me by my friend, the Rev. W. D. Fox, which is lined with black hair, instead of the usual material, dry grass ; the same circumstance having occurred several years in succession.

With regard to the situation of their nests, birds seem to be left much more to the influence of their own choice, construct¬ ing them with surprising skill, in places apparently most un¬ suitable. Some species, leaving their natural mode of life, and their own wild haunts, have adapted their habits to our own, and being to a certain extent domesticated, have become our confiding friends and delightful companions. The Swift, the Martin, and the Swallow, once the inhabitants of the inland rocks and lonely sea cliffs of our coast, have now become the voluntary inmates of our dwellings, cheering us with their cheerful notes and elegant evolutions. The shy Hawk, the wily Raven, and the midnight Owl, leaving their native woods, have built their nests in the towers and steeples of our towns and cities. The Magpies, too, which with us are so suspicious of wrong, build their nests under the eaves of the Norwegian cot¬ tages. Numerous instances might be given, in which birds have chosen the most strange and singular situations for their

INTRODUCTION.

XV nests, adapting them as though reason had been their guide. The most remarkable on record is that of the Rooks, which for ten successive years, built their nest upon the vane at the top of the Newcastle Exchange, revolving with every change of wind. The House Sparrow, the nest of which, when built in trees, is large and carefully arched over, dispenses with the labour of constructing its own roof, when it places it under the eaves of our dwellings.

In coming to the conclusion of this, the Third Edition of our British birds’ eggs, it is natural to revert to the time—some twenty-five years ago—when the earliest pages of the Oology first saw the light, and to note with pleasure the great progress which has been made during that period towards a knowledge of the subject. The book (“ the Oology”) was itself as migra¬ tory as the birds, the eggs of which are depicted in its pages; many of the plates were drawn at night after a long day of rail¬ way surveying in the fields, and the letter-press was printed wherever the author happened to be stationed at the time. There were few collectors to aid him in those days; and it is with a grateful feeling he remembers now the helping hand which was then held out to him by his friend, Mr. Yarrell.

Many eggs, which are now to be had in profusion, were then scarcely known; and a large number, which in my most hopeful hours I never expected to see, have been figured in the succeed¬ ing editions of the work. So little was known as to our British birds’ eggs at the commencement of the “ Oology,” that its plates were published unarranged, so as to receive new materials during its progress, and it was with feelings of delight which leave a bright memory behind them, that the kindness and libe¬ rality of correspondents, such as Mr. Spurgeon and Mr. Dashwood, enabled me to add one beautiful thing after another to the list, until the extended researches of Mr. Salmon, in Ork¬ ney ; Mr. Atkinson and Mr. Procter, in Iceland; my own bird-

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INTRODUCTION.

nesting excursion in Shetland and in Norway with Mr. John Hancock, and Mr. Hoys’ successes in the Low Countries of the Continent, nearly doubled our previous knowledge ere the close of the book.

Since then collectors of birds’ eggs have become numerous. Oology has become a fashionable pursuit; dishonest dealers have largely profited by the demand; plaster casts of a rare egg have been sold as the originals ; and with the exception of some of the best, there are few collections in which counterfeit eggs do not abound.

It has been my anxious wish to figure eggs only which those most conversant with the subject believe to be truly authentic. In the present edition the eggs of five species figured in the last (as to which there are some doubts), have been omitted, twenty-five new species have been added ; and those who are credulous enough to be satisfied with them, will find representa¬ tions of many more in a book of which the Eev. Orpen Morris is the editor.

Most of that which is new and of value in the present edi¬ tion has been supplied by the perseverance and enthusiasm of Mr. Wolley. To him, to Mr. Bond, Mr. Hancock, Mr. Newton, Mr. Salmon, Mr. Walter, Mr. Wilmot, and Mr. Yarrell, I would offer my most earnest thanks. The kindness which I have ex¬ perienced from each and all of them is not to be forgotten.

The egg which is drawn at fig. ii. plate xxxii. is not that of the Beed Warbler, but of Salicaria pa-lustris, a continental species.

It was sent me by mistake, but will not inaptly represent some varieties which I have seen of eggs of our own British species.