. Pictures of bird life : on woodland meadow, mountain and marsh . (Tuillemots, so closely packed together tliata fresh l)ird coming up from the sea has some difficulty infinding standing-room ; and it is quite a common tiling tosee several birds standing on the top of their companions,struggling to squeeze in. The Sea=birds of the Fame Islands 189 Each of tliese birds is eii(>aocd in iiieubatino- its singleegg. Like tlie Puffins, they only lay one, and, like thesebirds also, the egg is disproportionately large foi the si/eof the bird, so niueh so that it would not l)e capable ofcovering tw
. Pictures of bird life : on woodland meadow, mountain and marsh . (Tuillemots, so closely packed together tliata fresh l)ird coming up from the sea has some difficulty infinding standing-room ; and it is quite a common tiling tosee several birds standing on the top of their companions,struggling to squeeze in. The Sea=birds of the Fame Islands 189 Each of tliese birds is eii(>aocd in iiieubatino- its singleegg. Like tlie Puffins, they only lay one, and, like thesebirds also, the egg is disproportionately large foi the si/eof the bird, so niueh so that it would not l)e capable ofcovering two. Their eggs, as is Avell known, show an extraordinarydiversity in colour and markings. The ground-colour ofsome is quite white, others are l)right green, and every con-cei\able shade of yellow and brown, and sometimes blue, isto be seen. The markings are generally striking and boldin character ; but tliese, too, vary as much as the groimd-colour, so that out of hundreds of ei>s no two will befound alike. It may be that this diversity ser\es a useful .tri^t^. The PiNNAi 1 xs. Drawn from Photogkaphs. 190 Pictures of Bird Life purpose in eiiablin- eud\ bird to identify its own eos resembled one unotlier, be a matter ofsome diffieulty. Tlieir remarkably pointed shape lias been supposed to be torthe purpose of les-sening the risk oftheir rolling overthe edge of theroek — a risk towhieh they are pe-euliarly liable,being simply de-posited on the baresurfaee without theslightest vestige ofnest to keep themin position. Itnuist be admittedthat their shapedoes make themless likely to roll,the tendency beingfor them to re-volve on their ownaxis.
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectbirdspi, bookyear1903
