Home › Volumes › Bird Homes › Egg-collecting and Its Object

Egg-collecting and Its Object — Part 3

When the embryo has formed it is generally necessary to use the embryo-hook and to make a large hole. Never try to take out the contents of an egg through a hole of insufficient size. In large eggs, the scissors or forceps come into use. If the embryo is very large soak the egg in water for a day or so.

It is of the utmost importance that the egg should be thoroughly washed, both inside and out, with either cold or tepid water, which may contain some weak antiseptic solution, but on no account must very hot water be used. The water should be taken up with the blow-pipe and discharged into the egg, repeating this operation several times. Finally dry thoroughly, letting it drain, hole downwards, on cornmeal, sawdust, blotting-paper, or sand if nothing else is obtainable.

In the case of white eggs their beauty is much enhanced by inserting a little pink cotton-wool; this makes the specimen appear more as though the yolk were inside.

For field work have a few small metal boxes (such as those used for holding tobacco) filled with cotton wadding cut into squares, so that each egg may be wrapped up separately. Put on each a number, written lightly in pencil, referring to your field notes on that egg; this saves a great deal of confusion, especially when many eggs are found in a day. The A. O. U.(American Ornithologists' Union.) check list number should be written on every egg to prevent the occurrence of any possible mistake.

If the collection consists of nests with the eggs a cabinet with glass top will be needed, so that the nests may be seen, while at the same time the air and dust may be excluded as much as possible; camphor or naphthaline must be kept in the cabinet. Strong sunlight ought not to be allowed to fall on the eggs, for it causes them to fade, so it is advisable to keep the cabinet covered with some opaque material. Each nest should be marked either with a number referring to the catalogue, or with that and the name of the nest. If the collection contains only eggs, they should be kept in a cabinet with well-made drawers, each drawer divided off with partitions large enough to contain a complete set. The eggs may be laid on cotton, sawdust, sand, or finely grated cork, the last being perhaps the most suitable.