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Show 1867.] PROF. NEWTON ON NEW BIRDS' EGGS. 163 given it credit for ; and on the 9th of April three young ones were found. In 1864 they determined to "be wise in time." They kept two young men on the watch all the winter, and as spring approached careful search was made. At length, on the 23rd of March, after eight days' labour, the nest was found, in the same part of the forest as that of the year before, being indeed only some fifty feet from the same spot. It was, therefore, in all probability built by the same pair of birds. It was on a fir tree, about fifty feet high, and built quite in the same manner as that of the former year. The seeker took the precaution first to climb up a near-extending tree, and then, seeing the Nutcracker on the nest, ascended the nest-tree itself and took the four eggs, which, when sent to Herr Theobald, were blown by him and found to be quite fresh. He writes, " They have, I think, a peculiar character, and I believe that they cannot be easily confounded with others. It is always difficult to give a proper description of a bird's egg; but I am not able to find any likeness between these and the supposed eggs of the bird pictured in Badeker's plates *. They are smaller than the eggs of Pica varia, and larger than those of Garrulus glandarius. The ground-colour is a light bluish green, not unlike that of an egg of Sturnus vulgaris, which they also resemble in form. Nevertheless they do not deny the type of the Corvidee. They are sprinkled over with very fine spots of leather-yellow [buff] or perhaps olive. Two of them are spotted more distinctly ; one is almost spotless." I need not, I think, add anything to Pastor Theobald's description; but I take this opportunity of giving a figure of the most fully marked specimen (Pl. X V . fig. 2), and also an extract from a letter dated 27th of May, 1865, which I have since received from him, recounting some further successes:-" The long and severe winter [of 1864-65] seems to have retarded the Nutcrackers from laying their eggs at the ordinary time. The two young men we had engaged in Bornholm commenced their work on the 12th of March, but did not succeed in finding a nest (which contained three eggs) before the 10th of April. They waited some days, hoping that a fourth would be added, and took the three eggs on the 15th, when they found them much incubated. When these eggs were sent to us, we heard that another fresh nest was discovered. W e awaited the result not without anxiety, when the steamer brought us four eggs taken from that nest on the 30th. They were not at all set on. There is the strongest likeness in all the three sets we have now seen, and therefore I conclude that the Nutcracker's eggs do not vary much. The same is the case respecting the construction of the nest after this year's experience." The writer then proceeds to offer for m y acceptance the four eggs of the first nest, a liberal present, the recollection of which will always demand my warmest gratitude. Last March (1866) one nest was found, which the birds deserted after laying a single egg in it. I need not say with what satisfaction I announce the fulfilment of * Journ. fiir Orn. 1856, taf. i. fig. 1, and Eier der Europiiischen Vogel, taf. 1. fig. 14, and taf. lxxvi. fig. 4.-A. N. |
