Eggs are emptied, with the least amount of trouble, at _one_ hole, which
should be drilled in the _side_ with an instrument called the egg-drill.
The hole should, of course, be proportioned to the size of the egg and
the amount of incubation it has undergone. Eggs that are hard sat upon
are more easily blown by being kept a few days, but the operation must
not be deferred, too long, or they are apt to burst violently
immediately upon being punctured, though this may be avoided by holding
them under water while the first incision is made. The hole being
drilled, the lining membrane should be cleared away from the orifice
with a small penknife, by which means not only is the removal of the
contents, but the subsequent cleansing of the specimen facilitated. The
small end of a blowpipe should then be introduced, while the other
extremity is applied to the mouth and blown through, _at first very
gently_. If the embryo is found to be moderately developed, a stream of
water should be introduced by means of a syringe, and the egg then
gently shaken, after which the blowpipe may again be resorted to, until
by the ultimate use of both instruments, aided by scissors, hooks,
knives and forceps, the contents are completely emptied. After this the
egg should be filled with water from the syringe, shaken, and blown out,
which process is to be repeated until its interior is completely
cleansed, when it should be laid upon a pad of blotting paper or fine
cloth, with the hole downwards, its position on the pad or cloth being
occasionally changed, until it is perfectly dry. During this time it
should be kept as much as possible from the light, especially from the
sunshine, as the colors are then more liable to fade than at any
subsequent time. In the case of very small eggs, when fresh, the
contents may be sucked out by means of a bulbed tube, and the interior
afterwards rinsed but as before. It is always advisable, as far as
possible, to avoid wetting the outside of the shell as the action of
water is apt to remove the "bloom," affect the color, and in some cases
alter the crystalization of the shell. Consequently dirt stains or dung
spots should never be removed. While emptying the contents, it is well
to hold the egg over a basin of water, to avoid breakage in case of its
slipping from the fingers. Eggs that are very hard sat upon, of whatever
size they may be, should be treated in the manner detailed in
"Concluding Observations," in next issue, which is a method superior to
any other known at present to the writer for preventing injury arising
to them. Should the yolk of the egg be dried up, a small portion of
_carbonate of soda_ may be introduced (but with great care that it does
not touch the outer surface of the shell, in which case the color is
likely to be affected) and then the egg filled with water from the
syringe, and left to stand a few hours with the hole uppermost, after
which the contents are found to be soluble and are easily removed by the
blowpipe, assisted by one of the hooks. It is almost unnecessary to add,
except for the benefit of beginners, that the manipulation of the
different instruments requires extreme caution, but a few trials will
give the collector the practice necessary for success. Those who may
still prefer to blow eggs by means of _two_ holes are _particularly
requested not to make them at the ends of the eggs, nor on opposite
sides_, but on the same side. In this case the hole nearest the smaller
end of the egg should be the smallest and the contents blown out at the
other. If the holes are made at the _ends_ of the eggs, it not only very
much injures their appearance as cabinet specimens, but also prevents
their exact dimensions from being ascertained accurately; and if they
are made at _opposite_ sides, the extent of the "show surface" is
thereby lessened.
[TO BE CONTINUED.]
THE HAWKEYE
ORNITHOLOGIST & OOLOGIST
EDITED AND PUBLISHED BY
E. B. WEBSTER, F. D. MEAD.
CRESCO, IOWA.
A MONTHLY MAGAZINE
DEVOTED TO ORNITHOLOGY,
KINDRED SUBJECTS,
AND GEOLOGY.