See also:

• EGG (O.E. aeg, cf. Ger. Ei, Swed. aegg, and prob. Gr. u,ov, Lat. ovum)
• EGG, AUGUSTUS LEOPOLD (1816-1863)

EGG (O.E. aeg, cf. Ger. Ei, Swed. aegg, and prob. Gr. u,ov, See also:

• LAT

Lat. ovum)  , the See also:

• FEMALE

female reproductive See also:

• CELL (from Lat. cella, probably from an Indo-European kal —seen in Lat. celare, to hide; another suggestion connects the word with Lat. cera, wax, taking the original meaning to refer to the honeycomb)

cell or ovum of animals, which gives rise generally only after fertilization to the See also:

• YOUNG
• YOUNG, A
• YOUNG, ARTHUR (1741-1820)
• YOUNG, BRIGHAM (1801-1877)
• YOUNG, CHARLES MAYNE (1777–1856)
• YOUNG, EDWARD (1683–1765)
• YOUNG, JAMES (1811-1883)
• YOUNG, THOMAS (1773-1829)

young . The largest eggs are those of birds; and this because, to the minutes essential portion of the See also:

• EGG (O.E. aeg, cf. Ger. Ei, Swed. aegg, and prob. Gr. u,ov, Lat. ovum)
• EGG, AUGUSTUS LEOPOLD (1816-1863)

egg, or germ, from which the young See also:

• BIRD

bird grows, there is added a large See also:

• STORE (from O. Fr. estor or estoire, Late Lat. staurum or instaurum, stock, provisions, supply, from the late use of instaurare, to provide, properly to construct, renew, restore)

store of See also:

• FOOD
• FOOD (like the verb " to feed," from a Teutonic root, whence O. Eng. foda; cf. " fodder "; connected with Gr. lrareicOae, to feed)

food-material--the yolk and See also:

• WHITE
• WHITE, ANDREW DICKSON (1832– )
• WHITE, GILBERT (1720–1793)
• WHITE, HENRY KIRKE (1785-1806)
• WHITE, HUGH LAWSON (1773-1840)
• WHITE, JOSEPH BLANCO (1775-1841)
• WHITE, RICHARD GRANT (1822-1885)
• WHITE, ROBERT (1645-1704)
• WHITE, SIR GEORGE STUART (1835– )
• WHITE, SIR THOMAS (1492-1567)
• WHITE, SIR WILLIAM ARTHUR (1824--1891)
• WHITE, SIR WILLIAM HENRY (1845– )
• WHITE, THOMAS (1628-1698)
• WHITE, THOMAS (c. 1550-1624)

white of the egg—destined to nourish the growing embryo while the whole is enclosed within a hard See also:

• SHELL
• SHELL (O. Eng. scell, scyll, cf. Du. sceel, shell, Goth. skalja, tile; the word means originally a thin flake,. cf. Swed. skalja, to peel off; it is allied to " scale " and " skill," from a root meaning to cleave, divide, separate)

shell . The relative sizes of eggs depend entirely on the amount of the food-yolk thus enclosed with the germ; while the See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form and texture of the See also:

• OUTER

outer envelope are determined by the nature of the environment to which the egg is exposed . Where the food material is infinitesimal in quantity the egg is either not extruded—the embryo being nourished by the maternal tissues,—or it passes out.of the parental See also:

• BODY

body and gives rise at once to a See also:

• FREE

free-living organism or " larva " (see LARVAL FORMS), as in the See also:

• CASE
• CASE, JOHN (d. 1600)

case of many lowly See also:

• FRESHWATER

freshwater and marine animals . In such cases no " egg " in the usual sense of the See also:

• TERM

term is produced . The number of eggs periodically produced by any gives individual depends on the risks of destruction to which they, and the young to which they give rise, are exposed: not more than a single egg being annually laid by some See also:

• SPECIES

species, while with others the number may amount to millions . Birds' Eggs.—The egg of the bird affords, for See also:

• GENERAL
• GENERAL (Lat. generalis, of or relating to a genus, kind or class)

general purposes, the readiest example of the modifications imposed on eggs by the See also:

• EXTERNAL

external environment . Since it must be incubated by the warmth of the See also:

• PARENT, SIMON NAPOLEON (1855– )

parent's body, the outer envelope has taken the form of a hard shell for the See also:

• PROTECTION

protection of the growing chick from pressure, while the dyes which commonly See also:

• COLOUR (Lat. color, connected with celare, to hide, the root meaning, therefore, being that of a covering)

colour the See also:

• SURFACE

surface of this shell serve as a See also:

• SCREEN (usually, but very doubtfully, connected with Lat. scrinium, a box for holding books, from scribere, to write; a connexion with Ger. Schranke, barrier, has been suggested)

screen to hide it from egg-eating animals . Carbonate of See also:

• LIME
• LIME (O. Eng. lim, Lat. limes, mud, from linere, to smear)

lime forms the See also:

• PRINCIPAL

principal constituent of this shell; but in addition phosphate of lime and See also:

• MAGNESIA

magnesia are also See also:

• PRESENT

present . In See also:

• SECTION
• SECTION (Lat. sectio, cutting, secare, to cut)

section, this shell will be found to be made up of three more or less distinct crystalline layers, traversed by See also:

• VERTICAL (from Lat. vertex, highest point)

vertical canals, whereby the shell is made porous so as to admit See also:

• AIR (from an Indo-European root meaning " breathe," " blow ")
• AIR, or ASBEN

air to the developing chick . The outermost, or third, layer of this shell often takes the form of a glaze, as of procelain, as for example in the burnished egg of the See also:

• OSTRICH

ostrich: or it may assume the See also:

• CHARACTER (Gr. xapareri7p, from xap&crew, to scratch)

character of a thick, chalky layer as in some cuckoos (Guira, Crotophaga See also:

• ANI (anc. Abnicum)

ani), cormorants, grebes and flamingoes: while in some birds as in the auks, gulls and tinamous, this outer layer is wanting; yet the tinamous have the most highly glazed eggs of all birds, the second layer of the shell developing a surface even more perfectly burnished than that formed by the outermost, third layer in the ostrich . While the eggs of some birds have the shell so thin as to be translucent, e.g. See also:

• KINGFISHER (Ger.' Konigsfischer; Walloon Roi-peheux= pecheur)

kingfisher, others display considerable thickness, the maximum being reached in the egg of the See also:

• EXTINCT

extinct Aepyornis .

Though in shape differing but little from that of the See also:

• FAMILIAR (through the Fr. familier, from Lat. familiaris, of or belonging to the familia, family)

familiar See also:

• HEN

hen's egg, certain well-marked modifications of form are yet to be met with . Thus the eggs of the See also:

• PLOVER

plover are See also:

• PEAR (Pyrus communis)

pear-shaped, of the See also:

• SAND
• SAND, GEORGE (1804-1876)

sand-See also:

• GROUSE

grouse more or less cylindrical, of the owls and titmice spherical and of the grebes biconical . In the See also:

• MATTER

matter of coloration the eggs of birds present a remark-able range . The See also:

• PIGMENTS (Lat. pigmentum, from pingere, to paint)

pigments to which this coloration is due have been shown, by means of their absorption spectra (Sorby, Proc . Zool . See also:

• SOC

Soc., 1875), to be seven in number . The first of these, oorhodeine, is See also:

• BROWN
• BROWN, CHARLES BROCKDEN (1771-181o)
• BROWN, FORD MADOX (1821-1893)
• BROWN, FRANCIS (1849- )
• BROWN, GEORGE (1818-188o)
• BROWN, HENRY KIRKE (1814-1886)
• BROWN, JACOB (1775–1828)
• BROWN, JOHN (1715–1766)
• BROWN, JOHN (1722-1787)
• BROWN, JOHN (1735–1788)
• BROWN, JOHN (1784–1858)
• BROWN, JOHN (1800-1859)
• BROWN, JOHN (1810—1882)
• BROWN, JOHN GEORGE (1831— )
• BROWN, ROBERT (1773-1858)
• BROWN, SAMUEL MORISON (1817—1856)
• BROWN, SIR GEORGE (1790-1865)
• BROWN, SIR JOHN (1816-1896)
• BROWN, SIR WILLIAM, BART
• BROWN, THOMAS (1663-1704)
• BROWN, THOMAS (1778-1820)
• BROWN, THOMAS EDWARD (1830-1897)
• BROWN, WILLIAM LAURENCE (1755–1830)

brown-red in See also:

• TONE, THEOBALD WOLFE (1763-1798)

tone, and rarely absent: the second and third, oocyanin, and banded oocyanin, are of a beautiful See also:

• BLUE (common in different forms to most European languages)

blue, and though differing spectroscopically give rise to the same product when oxidized: the See also:

• FOURTH

fourth and fifth are yellow, and rufous ooxanthine, the former combining with oocyanin gives rise to the wonderful See also:

• MALACHITE

malachite See also:

• GREEN, A
• GREEN, ALEXANDER HENRY (1832—1896)
• GREEN, DUFF (1791—1875)
• GREEN, JOHN RICHARD (1837—1883)
• GREEN, MATTHEW (1696-1737)
• GREEN, THOMAS HILL (1836-1882)
• GREEN, VALENTINE (1739–1813)
• GREEN, WILLIAM HENRY (.1825–1900)

green of the emu's egg, while the latter occurs only in the eggs of tinamous: the See also:

• SIXTH

sixth is lichenoxanthine, a pigment not yet thoroughly known but present in the shells of all eggs having a See also:

• PECULIAR

peculiar See also:

• BRICK (derived according to some etymologists from the Teutonic bricke, a disk or plate; but more authoritatively, through the French brique, originally a " broken piece," applied especially to bread, and so to clay, from the Teutonic brikan, to break)

brick-red colour . Still less is known of the seventh pigment which is, as yet, nameless . It is a substance giving a banded absorption spectrum, and which, mixed with other pigments, imparts an abnormally browner tint . The origin of these pigments is yet uncertain, but it is probable that they are derived from the haemoglobin or red colouring matter of the See also:

• BLOOD

blood . This being so, then the pigments of the egg-shell differ entirely in their nature from those which colour the yolk or the feathers . While many eggs are either colourless or of one See also:

• UNIFORM

uniform tint, the See also:

• MAJORITY (Fr. majorite; Med. Lat. majoritas; Lat. major, greater)

majority have the surface broken up by spots or lines, or a See also:

• COMBINATION (Lat. combinare, to combine)

combination of both, of varying tints: the pigment being deposited as the egg passes down the See also:

• LOWER

lower portion of the oviduct .

That the egg during this passage turns slowly on its See also:

• LONG, GEORGE (1800-1879)
• LONG, JOHN DAVIS (1838– )

long See also:

• AXIS (Lat. for " axle ")

axis is shown by the fact that the spots and lines have commonly a See also:

• SPIRAL

spiral direction; though some of the markings are made during periods of See also:

• REST (O. Eng. rest, reste, bed, cognate with other Teutonic forms, e.g. Ger. Rast, Riiste, rest, and probably Gothic Rasta, league, i.e. resting or stopping place)

rest, as is shown by their See also:

• SHARP, GRANVILLE (1735-1813)
• SHARP, JAMES (1618-1679)
• SHARP, JOHN (1645-1714)
• SHARP, RICHARD (1759-1835)
• SHARP, WILLIAM (1749-1824)
• SHARP, WILLIAM (1856-1905)

sharp outlines, See also:

• MOVEMENT

movement giving a blurred effect . Where the egg is pyriform, the large end makes way for the smaller . Many eggs display, in addition to the strongly marked spots, more or fewer fainter spots embedded in a deeper layer of the shell, and hence such eggs'are said to be " See also:

• DOUBLE
• DOUBLE (from the Mid. Eng. duble, the form which gives the present pronunciation, through the Old Er. duble, from Lat. duplus, twice as much)

double-spotted!" e.g. rails and plovers . Among some species, as in birds of See also:

• PREY (0. Fr. preie, mod. proie, Lat. praeda, booty, from prae and the root hed—seen in prehendere, prendere, to grasp)

prey, the intensity of this coloration is said to increase with See also:

• AGE (Fr. age, through late Lat. aetaticum, from aetas)

age up to a certain point, when it as gradually decreases . Frequently, especially where but two eggs are laid (See also:

• NEWTON
• NEWTON, ALFRED (1829–1907)
• NEWTON, JOHN (1725-1807)
• NEWTON, JOHN (1823-1895)
• NEWTON, SIR CHARLES THOMAS (1816-1894)
• NEWTON, SIR ISAAC (1642-1727)

Newton), all the dye will be deposited, sometimes on the first, sometimes on the last laid, leaving the other colour-less . But although of a number of eggs in a " clutch "—as the full See also:

• COMPLEMENT (Lat. complementum, from complere, to fill up)

complement of eggs in a See also:

• NEST

nest is called—no two are exactly alike, they commonly See also:

• BEAR
• BEAR, BLACK
• BEAR, BROWN
• BEAR, GRIZZLY
• BEAR, ISABELLINE
• BEAR, WHITE

bear a very See also:

• CLOSE
• CLOSE (from Lat. clausum, shut)
• CLOSE, MAXWELL HENRY (1822-1903)

close resemblance . Among certain species, however, which See also:

• LAY

lay several eggs, one of the number invariably differs markedly from the rest, as for example in the eggs of the See also:

• HOUSE
• HOUSE (O. Eng. hiss, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dut. huis, Ger. Haus; in Gothic it is only found in gudhiss, a temple; it may be ultimately connected with the root of " hide," conceal)

house-See also:

• SPARROW (0. Eng. spearwa; Icel. sporr; O.H.G. Sparo)

sparrow or in those of the sparrow-See also:

• HAWK (O. Eng. hafoc or heafoc, a common Teutonic word, cf. Dutch havik, Ger. Habicht; the root is hab-, haf-, to hold, cf. Lat. accipiter, from capere)

hawk, where, of a clutch of six, two generally differ conspicuously from the rest . Differing though these eggs do from the rest of the clutch, all yet present the characters See also:

• COMMON

common to the species.' But the eggs of some birds, such as the Australian swamp See also:

• QUAIL (0. Fr. Quaille, Mod. Fr. Caille, Ital. Quaglia, Low Lat. Quaquila, Du. Kwakkel and Kwartel, Ger. Wachtel, Dan. Vagtel)

quail, Synoecus australis, present a remarkably wide range of variation in the matter of coloration, no two clutches being alike, the extremes ranging from pure white to eggs having a greenish ground colour and rufous spots or blotches . But a still more interesting See also:

• ILLUSTRATION

illustration of variation equally marked is furnished by the chikor See also:

• PARTRIDGE (Du. Patrijs, Fr. perdrix, from Lat. perdix, apparently onomatopoeic from the call of the bird)
• PARTRIDGE, JOHN BERNARD (1861– )
• PARTRIDGE, WILLIAM ORDWAY (1861– )

partridge (Caccabis chukar), since here the variation appears to be correlated with the See also:

• GEOGRAPHICAL

geographical See also:

• DISTRIBUTION (Lat. distribuere, to deal out)

distribution of the species . Thus eggs taken in See also:

• GREECE

Greece are for the most See also:

• PART

part cream-coloured and unspotted; those from the Grecian See also:

• ARCHIPELAGO

Archipelago are generally spotted and blotched; while more to the eastward spots are invariably present, and the blotches attain their maximum development . But in variability the eggs of the See also:

• GUILLEMOT (Fr. guillemot 1)

guillemot (Lomvia troile) exceed all others: both in the See also:

• HUE

hue of the ground colour and in the form of the superimposed markings, these eggs exhibit a wonderful range for which no adequate explanation has yet been given . Individual peculiarities of coloration are commonly reproduced, not only with this species but also in others, See also:

• YEAR

year after year .

The coloration of the egg bears no sort of relation to the coloration of the bird which See also:

• LAYS

lays it; but' it bears on the other signori. See also:

• HAND
• HAND (a word common to Teutonic languages; cf. Ger. Hand, Goth. handus)
• HAND, FERDINAND GOTTHELF (1786-185r)

hand a more or less See also:

• DIRECT

direct relation to the n.cure of the canceof environment during See also:

• INCUBATION

incubation . colour . White eggs may generally be regarded as representing the See also:

• PRIMITIVE

primitive type of egg, since they agree in this particular with the eggs of See also:

• REPTILES (Lat. Reptilia, creeping things, from reptilis; ref ere, to creep; Gr. Ep7rety, whence the term " herpetology," for the science dealing with them)

reptiles . And it will generally be found that eggs of this hue are deposited in holes or in domed nests . So long indeed as nesting-places of this See also:

• KIND (O. E. ge-cynde, from the same root as is seen in " kin," supra)

kind are used will the eggs be white . And this because coloured eggs would be invisible in dimly lighted See also:

• CHAMBERS (the Fr. chambre, from Lat. camera, a room)
• CHAMBERS, EPHRAIM (d. 1740)
• CHAMBERS, GEORGE (1803-1840)
• CHAMBERS, ROBERT (18oz-1871)
• CHAMBERS, SIR WILLIAM (1726-1796)

chambers of this description, and therefore constantly exposed to the See also:

• RISK

risk of being broken by the sitting bird, or See also:

• ROLLING

rolling out of reach where the chamber was large enough to admit of this, whereas white eggs are visible so long as they can be reached by the faintest rays of See also:

• LIGHT

light . Pigeons invariably lay white eggs; and while some See also:

• DEPOSIT (Lat. depositurn, from deponere, to lay down, to put in the care of)

deposit them in holes others build an open nest, a See also:

• MERE
• MERE, ADALBERT (1838-1909)

mere See also:

• PLATFORM (Fr. plateforme, i.e. ground plan)

platform of sticks . These exceptions to the See also:

• RULE

rule show that the depredations of egg-eating animals are sufficiently guarded against by the overhanging foliage, as well as by the See also:

• GREAT

great distance from the ground at which the nest is built . Birds which have reverted to the more See also:

• ANCIENT
• ANCIENT (also spelt ANTIENT; derived, through the Fr. ancien, old, from the late Lat. antianum, from ante, before)

ancient See also:

• CUSTOM (from O. Fr. costume, costume or coustume; Low Lat. costuma, a shortened form of consuetudo)

custom of nesting in holes after having See also:

• DEVELOPED

developed pigmented eggs, have adopted the See also:

• DEVICE

device of covering the shell with a layer of chalky matter (e.g. puffins), or, to put the case more correctly, they have been enabled to maintain survival after their return to the more ancient mode of See also:

• NIDIFICATION (from Lat. nidus)

nidification, because this reversion was accompanied by the tendency to See also:

• COVER (from the Fr. convert, from couvrir, to cover, Lat. cooperire)

cover the pigmented surface of the shell with this light-reflecting chalky incrustation . Eggs which are deposited on the See also:

• BARE

bare ground, or in other exposed situations, are usually protectively coloured: that is to say, the hue of the shell more or less completely harmonizes with the ground on which the egg is placed . The eggs of the plover tribe afford the most striking examples of this fact . But the majority of birds deposit their eggs in a more or less elaborately constructed nest, and `in such cases the egg, so far from being protectively coloured, often displays tints that would appear calculated rather to attract the See also:

• ATTENTION (from Lat. ad-tendo, await, expect; the condition of being " stretched " or " tense ")

attention of egg-stealing animals; See also:

• BRIGHT, JOHN (1811-188g)
• BRIGHT, SIR CHARLES TILSTON

bright blue or blue spotted with See also:

• BLACK
• BLACK, ADAM (1784-1874)
• BLACK, JEREMIAH SULLIVAN (1810–1883)
• BLACK, WILLIAM (1841-1898)

black being commonly met with .

It may be, however, that coloration of this kind is less conspicuous than is generally supposed, but in any case the safety of the egg depends not so much on its coloration as on the character of the nest, which, where protective devices are necessary, must harmonize sufficiently with its surroundings to See also:

• ESCAPE (in mid. Eng. eschape or escape, from the O. Fr. eschapper, modern echapper, and escaper, low Lat. escapium, from ex, out of, and cappa, cape, cloak; cf. for the sense development the Gr. iichueoOat, literally to put off one's clothes, hence to sli

escape observation from prowling egg-stealers of all kinds . The See also:

• SIZE

size of the egg depends partly on the number produced and partly on the conditions determining the See also:

• STATE
• STATE, GREAT OFFICERS OF

state of the young bird at hatching: hence there is a great disparity in the relative sizes of the eggs of different birds . Thus it will be found that young birds which emerge in the See also:

• WORLD

world See also:

• BLIND, MATHILDE (1841—1896)

blind, naked and helpless are the product of relatively small eggs, while on the contrary young hatched from relatively large eggs are down-clad and active from See also:

• BIRTH (a word common in various forms to Teutonic languages from the root of the verb " to bear ")

birth . The fact that the eggs must be brooded. by the parent is also a controlling See also:

• FACTOR (from Lat. facere, to make or do)

factor in so far as number is concerned, for no more can be hatched than can be covered by the sitting bird . Other factors, however, less understood, also exercise a controlling See also:

• INFLUENCE (Late Lat. influentia, from influere, to flow in)

influence in this matter . Thus the ostrich lays from 12 to 16, the See also:

• TEAL (O.E. tele)

teal 15, the partridge i2-20, while among many other species the number is strictly limited, as in the case of the hornbills and guillemots, which lay but a sLgle egg; the apteryx, See also:

• DIVERS

divers, petrels and pigeons never lay more than 2, while the gulls and plovers never exceed 4 . Tropical species are said to lay fewer eggs than their representatives in temperate regions, and further immature birds lay more and smaller eggs than when fully adult . Partly owing to the uniformity of shape, size and texture of the shell, the eggs of birds are by no means easy to distinguish, except in so far as their See also:

• FAMILY

family resemblances are concerned: that is to say, except in particular cases, they cannot be specifically distinguished, and hence they are of but little or no value for the purposes of See also:

• CLASSIFICATION (Lat. classis, a class, probably from the root cal-, cla-, as in Gr. icaMce, clamor)

classification . See also:

• SAVE, or SAVA (Ger. Sau; Hungarian Szdva; Lat. Savus)

Save only among the megapodes, all birds brood their eggs, the See also:

• PERIOD
• PERIOD (Gr. irepioSos, a going or way round, circuit, aepi, round, and &Sis, way, road)

period of incubation varying from 13 days, as in small passerine birds, to 8 See also:

• WEEKS, EDWIN LORD (1849-1903)

weeks, as in the See also:

• CASSOWARY (Casuarius)

cassowary, though eggs of the See also:

• RHEA

rhea and of Struthio See also:

• HATCH
• HATCH, EDWIN (1835-1889)

hatch in from 5 to 6 weeks . But the megapodes deposit their eggs in mounds of decaying See also:

• VEGETABLE

vegetable matter or in sand in the neighbourhood of hot springs, and there without further apparent care leave them . Where the nestling is active from the moment of hatching the eggs have a relatively longer incubation period than in cases where the nestlings are for a long while helpless . Eggs of Mammals.—Only in the spiny See also:

• ANT
• ANT (O. Eng. aemete, from Teutonic a, privative, and maitan, cut or bite off, i.e. " the biter off "; aemete in Middle English became differentiated in dialect use to (mete, then amte, and so ant, and also to emete, whence the synonym " emmet," now only u

ant-eater, or See also:

• ECHIDNA, or PORCUPINE

Echidna, and the See also:

• DUCK

duck-billed See also:

• PLATYPUS

platypus, or Ornithorhynchus, among the See also:

• MAMMALIA (from Lat. mamma, a teat or breast)

Mammalia, are the eggs provided with a large store of yolk, enclosed within a shell, and extruded to undergo development apart from the maternal tissues .

In the case of the echidna the eggs, two in number, are about as large as those of a sparrow, similar in shape, and have a white, See also:

• PARCHMENT

parchment-like shell . After See also:

• EXPULSION (Lat. expulsio, from expellere)

expulsion they are transferred by the See also:

• BEAK (early forms beke and becke, from Fr. bec, late Lat. beccus, supposed to be a Gaulish word; the Celtic bec and beq, however, are taken from the English)

beak of the See also:

• MOTHER

mother to a pouch resembling that of the marsupial kangaroos, and there they undergo development . The Otnithorhynchus, on the other hand, lays from two to four eggs, which in size and general See also:

• APPEARANCE (from Lat. apparere, to appear)

appearance resemble those of the echidna . They are, how-ever, deposited in a loosely constructed nest at the end of a long burrow and there brooded . In Marsupials, the eggs are smaller than those of Echidna and Ornithorhynchus, and they contain a larger proportion of yolk than occurs in higher mammals . Eggs of Reptiles.—The eggs of reptiles are invariably provided with a large amount of food yolk and enclosed with a See also:

• FIRM

firm test or shell, which though generally parchment-like in texture may be calcareous as in birds, as, for example, in many of the tortoises and turtles and in the crocodiles . Among reptiles the egg is always white or yellowish, while the number laid often far exceeds that in the case of birds . The tuatara of New See also:

• ZEALAND (also SEALAND Or SEELAND; Danish Sjaelland)

Zealand, however, lays but ten—white hard-shelled, long and See also:

• OVAL (Lat. ovum, egg)

oval—at intervals between See also:

• NOVEMBER (Lat. novem, nine)

November and See also:

• JANUARY

January . The long intervals between the appearance of the successive eggs is a characteristic feature of the reptiles, but is met with among the birds only in the megapodes, which, like the reptiles, do not " brood " their eggs . Among the Chelonia the number of eggs varies from two to four in some of the tortoises, to aoo in some of the turtles: while in the crocodiles between 20 and 30 are produced, hard-shelled and white . The eggs of the lizards are always white or yellowish, and generally soft-shelled; but the geckos and the green See also:

• LIZARD (Lat. lacertal)

lizard lay 'hard-shelled eggs . Many of the soft-shelled eggs are remarkable for the fact that they increase in size after extrusion, owing to the stretching of the membranous shell by the growing embryo .

In the matter of number lizards are less prolific than many of the Chelonia, a dozen eggs being the general number, though as many as See also:

• THIRTY

thirty may be produced at a See also:

• TIME (0. Eng. Lima, cf. Icel. timi, Swed. timme, hour, Dan. time; from the root also seen in " tide," properly the time of between the flow and ebb of the sea, cf. O. Eng. getidan, to happen, " even-tide," &c.; it is not directly related to Lat. tempus)
• TIME, MEASUREMENT OF
• TIME, STANDARD

time, as in the case of the common See also:

• CHAMELEON

chameleon . While as a general rule the eggs of lizards are laid in burrows or buried, some are retained within the body of the parent until the young are ready to emerge; or they may even hatch within the oviduct . This occurs with some chameleons and some lizards, e. g. the slow-See also:

• WORM

worm . The common See also:

• ENGLISH

English lizard is also viviparous . Normally the young leaves the egg immediately after its extrusion, but if by any See also:

• CHANCE (through the O. Fr. cheance, from the Late Lat. cadentia, things happening, from cadere, to fall out, happen; cf. " case ")

chance this extrusion is delayed they escape while yet in the oviduct . The majority of the See also:

• SNAKES

snakes lay eggs, but most of the vipers and the aquatic snakes are viviparous, as also are a few terrestrial species . The shell of the egg is always soft and parchment-like . As a rule the number of eggs produced among the snakes is not large, twenty or thirty being common, but some species of See also:

• PYTHON

python lay as many as a See also:

• HUNDRED

hundred . Generally, among the oviparous snakes the eggs are buried, but some species of boas jealously guard them, enclosing them within the coils of the body . Eggs of See also:

• AMPHIBIA

Amphibia.—Among the amphibia a greater variety obtains in the matter of the investment of the egg, as well as in the number, size and method of their disposal . The outer covering is formed by a toughening of the surface of a thick gelatinous coat which surrounds the essential parts of the egg . This coat in many species of See also:

• SALAMANDER

salamander—using this name in the wide sense—is produced into threads which serve either to See also:

• ANCHOR (from the Greek ayrcvpa, which Vossius considers is from 6yi17 , a crook or hook)

anchor the eggs singly or to bind them together in bunches .

Viviparity occurs both among the limbless and the tailed Amphibia, the eggs hatching before they leave the oviduct or immediately after extrusion . The number of young so produced is generally not large, but the common salamander (Salamandra maculosa) may produce as many as fifty at a birth, though fifteen is the more normal figure . When the higher number is reached the young are relatively small and weak . As a rule among the Amphibia the young leave the egg in the form of larvae, generally known as " tadpoles "; but many I species produce eggs containing a sufficient amount of food material to enable the whole of the larval phase to be completed before hatching . Among the tailless Amphibia (frogs and toads) 'there are wide See also:

• DIFFERENCES, CALCULUS OF (Theory of Finite Differences)

differences in the number of eggs produced, while the methods by which these eggs are disposed of present a marvellous variety . As a rule vast quantities of eggs are See also:

• SHED

shed by the female into the See also:

• WATER

water in the form of " spawn." In the common See also:

• TOAD

toad as many as 7000 eggs may be extruded at a time . These leave the body in the form of two long strings—one from each oviduct—of trans-lucent globules, gelatinous in texture, and enclosing a central See also:

• SPHERE (Gr. vclsa?pa, a ball or globe)

sphere of yolk, the upper See also:

• POLE (FAMILY)
• POLE, REGINALD (1500-1558)
• POLE, RICHARD DE LA (d. 1525)
• POLE, WILLIAM (1814—1900)

pole of which is black . The spawn of the common See also:

• FROG

frog differs from that of the toad in that the eggs all adhere to form a huge jelly-like See also:

• MASS (O.E. maesse; Fr. messe; Ger. Messe; Ital. messa; from eccl. Lat. missa)
• MASS, IN

mass . But in many species the number of eggs produced are few; and these may be sufficiently stored with food-yolk to allow of the See also:

• TADPOLE

tadpole See also:

• STAGE (Fr. 6/age; from Lat. stare, to stand)

stage being passed before hatching, as in frogs of the genus Hylodes. in many cases the eggs are deposited out of the water and often in quite remarkable ways . Eggs of Fishes.—The eggs of fishes present an extremely wide range of form, and a no less extensive range in the matter of number . Both among the cartilaginous and bony fishes viviparity occurs . Most of the sharks and rays are viviparous, but in the oviparous species the eggs present some interesting and peculiar forms .

Large in size, the outer coat or " shell " is in all cases See also:

• HORN
• HORN (a common Teutonic word, cognate with Lat. cornu; cf. Gr. Kipas)
• HORN (Lat. cornu; corresponding terms being Fr. cor, trompe; Ger. Horn; Ital. corno)
• HORN, ARVID BERNHARD, COUNT (1664-1742)
• HORN, PHILIP DE MONTMORENCY, COUNT

horn-like and flexible, but differs greatly in shape . Thus in the egg of the larger spotted See also:

• DOG

dog-See also:

• FISH (O. Eng. fist, a word common to Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch visch, Ger. Fisch, Goth. fisks, cognate with the Lat. piscis)
• FISH, HAMILTON (1808-1893)

fish it is oblong in shape, flattened from See also:

• SIDE
• SIDE (mod. Eski Adalia)

side to side, and has the angles produced into long, slender tendrils . As the egg is laid the lower tendrils project from the vent, and the mother rubs herself against some fixed body . The tendrils soon catch fast in some slight See also:

• PROJECTION

projection, when the egg is dragged forth there to remain till hatching takes See also:

• PLACE (through Fr. from Lat. platea, street; Gr. IrAar6s, wide)

place . A couple of narrow slits at each corner of the upper end serve to admit fresh water to the imprisoned embryo during the later stages of development; when development is See also:

• COMPLETE

complete escape is made through the end of the shell . In the rays or " skates," long spines take the place of tendrils, the egg simply resting at the bottom of the See also:

• SEA (in O. Eng. sae, a common Teutonic word; cf. Ger. See, Dutch Zee, &c.; the ultimate source is uncertain)
• SEA, COMMAND OF THE

sea . The empty egg-cases of the rays are often found on the seashore, and are known as "Mermaids' purses." The egg of the See also:

• PORT

Port See also:

• JACKSON
• JACKSON, ANDREW (1767-1845)
• JACKSON, CYRIL (1746-1819)
• JACKSON, FREDERICK GEORGE (186o– )
• JACKSON, HELEN MARIA (1831–1885)
• JACKSON, MASON (c. 1820-1903)
• JACKSON, THOMAS (1579-1640)
• JACKSON, THOMAS JONATHAN (1824-1863)
• JACKSON, WILLIAM (1730-1803)

Jackson See also:

• SHARK

shark (Cestracion) is of enormous size, pear-shaped, and provided with a spiral flange extending along the whole length of the See also:

• CAPSULE (from the Lat. capsula, a small box)

capsule . In the See also:

• CHIMAERA

Chimaera the egg is long, more or less spindle-shaped, and produced on each side into a broad flange having a fringed edge, so that the whole bears a close resemblance to a long See also:

• LEAF (O. Eng. leaf, cf. Dutch loof, Ger. Laub, Swed. lof, &c.; possibly to be referred to the root seen in Gr. Ma-eta, to peel, strip)

leaf, broad and notched at one end, pointed at the other . This likeness to the seaweed among which it rests is doubtless a protective device, akin to that of protectively coloured birds' eggs . Among the bony fishes the eggs generally take the form of small See also:

• SPHERES, MUSIC OF THE

spheres, enclosed within a tough membrane or capsule . But they present many important differences, being in some fishes heavy and remaining at the bottom of the water, in other light and floating on the surface . While in some species they are distributed separately, in others they adhere together in masses .

The eggs of the See also:

• SALMON
• SALMON, GEORGE (1819-1904)

salmon, for example, are heavy, hard and smooth, and deposited separately in a trough dug by the parent and afterwards covered to prevent them from being carried away by the stream . In the See also:

• PERCH (through Fr. from Lat. perca, Gr. 7rEpKo; the last word is connected with 2repev6r, dark-coloured, spotted)
• PERCH (through Fr. perche from Lat. pertica, a pole or rod used for measurement)

perch they are adhesive and form long See also:

• BAND

band-like masses of spawn adhering to water-See also:

• PLANTS

plants . In the gobies the egg is spindle-shaped, and attached by one end by means of a network of See also:

• FIBRES
• FIBRES (or FIBERS, in American spelling; from Lat. fibra, apparently connected either with filum, thread, or findere, to split)

fibres, resembling rootlets; while in the See also:

• SMELT (Osmerus eperlanus; Fr. eperlan; Scotch sparling or spirling)

smelt the egg is loosely suspended by a membrane formed by the peeling off of a part of the outer sheath of the capsule . The eggs of the garfish (Belone vulgaris) and of the flying-fish of the genus Exocoetus, attach themselves to See also:

• FOREIGN

foreign See also:

• OBJECTS

objects, or to one another, by means of threads or cords developed at opposite poles of the egg . Among a number of fishes the eggs See also:

• FLOAT (in O. Eng. floc and flota, in the verbal form f eotan; the Teutonic root is flut-, another form of flu-, seen in " flow," cf. " fleet "; the root is seen in Gr. a-M e, to sail, Lat. pluere, to rain; the Lat, fluere and fluctus, wave, is not connect

float at the surface of the sea, often in enormous masses, when they are carried about at the See also:

• MERCY (adapted from Fr. merci, Lat. merces, reward)
• MERCY (or MERCI), FRANZ, FREIHERR VON

mercy of tides'and currents . An See also:

• IDEA (Gr. Ibia, connected with i&eiv, to see; cf. Lat. species from specere, to look at)

idea of the size which such masses attain may be gathered from the fact that the spawn of the See also:

• ANGLER

angler-fish, Lophius piscatorius, takes the form of a See also:

• SHEET

sheet from 2 to 3 ft. wide, and 30 ft. long . Another remarkable feature of these floating eggs is their transparency, inasmuch as they are extremely difficult to see, and hence they probably escape the rapacious maws of spawn-eating animals . The See also:

• COD

cod tribe and fiat-fishes lay floating eggs of this description . The maximum number of eggs laid by fishes varies greatly, some species laying relatively few, others an enormous number . But in all cases the number increases with the See also:

• WEIGHT

weight and age of the fish . Thus it has been calculated that the number laid by the salmon is roughly about See also:

• I000

i000 to every See also:

• POUND
• POUND (2)—(a)

pound weight of the fish, a 15 lb salmon laying 15,000 eggs . The See also:

• STURGEON (Acipenser)

sturgeon lays about 7,000,000; the See also:

• HERRING (Clupea harengus, Haring in German, le hareng in French, sill in Swedish)

herring 5o,000; the turbot 14,311,000; the See also:

• SOLE (Solea)

sole 134,000; the perch 280,000 .

Briefly, the number is greatest where the risks of destruction are greatest . The eggs of the degenerate fishes known as the lampreys and See also:

• HAG

hag-fishes are remarkable for the fact that in the latter they are large in size, cylindrical in shape, and provided at each end with hooklets whereby they adhere one to another; while in the lampreys they are extremely small and embedded in a jelly . Molluscs.—Among the See also:

• MOLLUSCA

Mollusca, See also:

• CRUSTACEA

Crustacea and Insecta yolk-stored eggs of very remarkable forms are commonly produced . In variety, in this connexion, the Mollusca must perhaps be given the first place . This diversity, indeed, is strikingly illustrated by the eggs of the See also:

• CEPHALOPODA

Cephalopoda . In the squids (Loligo), for example, the eggs are enclosed in long cylindrical cases, of which there are several hundreds, attached by one end to a common centre; the whole See also:

• SERIES (a Latin word from serere, to join)

series looking strangely like a rough See also:

• MOP

mop-See also:

• HEAD (in 0. Eng. heafad; the word is common to Teutonic languages; cf. Dutch hoofd, Ger. Haupt, generally taken to be in origin connected with Lat. caput, Gr. KerbOvi7)
• HEAD, SIR EDMUND WALKER, BART
• HEAD, SIR FRANCIS BOND, BART

head . Each case, in such a cluster, contains about 250 eggs, or about 40,000 in all . By way of contrast the eggs of the true cuttle-fish (See also:

• SEPIA (Gr. a iria, cuttlefish)

Sepia) are deposited separately, each enclosed in a tough, black, pear-shaped capsule which is fastened by a stalk to fronds of sea-See also:

• WEED, THURLOW (1797—1882)

weed or other See also:

• OBJECT

object . They appear to be extruded at See also:

• SHORT, FRANCIS JOB (1857– )

short intervals, till the full complement is laid, the whole forming a cluster looking like a bunch of grapes . The See also:

• OCTOPUS (Gr. brcreo, eight and gobs, foot)

octopus differs yet again in this matter, its eggs being very small, See also:

• BERRY, CHARLES ALBERT (1852-1899)
• BERRY, CHARLES FERDINAND
• BERRY, JOHN, DUKE OF (1340-1416)
• BERRY, or BERRI

berry-like, and attached to a stalk which runs through the centre of the mass . The eggs of the univalve Mollusca are hardly less varied in the shapes they take . In the common See also:

• BRITISH

British See also:

• PURPURA

Purpura lapillus they resemble delicate See also:

• PINK

pink grains of See also:

• RICE (Greek 6p6 a, Latin oryza, French riz, Italian riso, Spanish arroz, derived from the Arabic)
• RICE, EDMUND IGNATIUS (1762-1844)
• RICE, JAMES (1843-1882)

rice set on stalks; in Busycon they are disk-shaped, and attached to a band nearly 3 ft. long .

The eggs of the shell-bearing slugs (Testacella) are large, and have the outer coat so elastic that if dropped on a See also:

• STONE
• STONE (0. Eng. shin; the word is common to Teutonic languages, cf. Ger. Stein, Du. steen, Dan. and Swed. sten; the root is also seen in Gr. aria, pebble)
• STONE, CHARLES POMEROY (1824-1887)
• STONE, EDWARD JAMES (1831-1897)
• STONE, FRANK (1800-1859)
• STONE, GEORGE (1708—1764)
• STONE, LUCY [BLACKWELL] (1818-1893)
• STONE, MARCUS (184o— )
• STONE, NICHOLAS (1586-1647)

stone See also:

• FLOOR (from O. Eng. flor, a word common to many Teutonic languages, cf. Dutch vloer, and Ger. Flur, a field, in the feminine, and a floor, masculine)

floor they will rebound several inches; while some of the snails (Bulimus) lay eggs having a white calcareous and slightly iridescent shell, in size and shape closely resembling the egg of the See also:

• PIGEON

pigeon . Some are even larger than the egg of the See also:

• WOOD, ANTHONY A2 (1632-1695)
• WOOD, JOHN GEORGE (1827—1889)
• WOOD, MRS HENRY [ELLEN] (1814—1887)
• WOOD, SEARLES VALENTINE (1798—188o)

wood-pigeon . The beautiful See also:

• VIOLET

violet-See also:

• SNAIL

snail (Ianthina)—a marine species—carries its eggs on the under side of a gelatinous raft . No less remarkable are the eggs of the whelk; since, like those of the squids, they are not laid separately but enveloped in capsules, and these to the number of many hundreds form the large, See also:

• BALL (in Mid. Eng. bal; the word is probably cognate with " bale," Teutonic in origin, cf. also Lat. falls, and Gr. 7raXXa)
• BALL, JOHN (1585-1640)
• BALL, JOHN (1818-1889)
• BALL, JOHN (d. 1381)
• BALL, SIR ALEXANDER JOHN, BART
• BALL, THOMAS (1819- )

ball-like masses so commonly met with on the seashore . When the eggs in these capsules hatch, the See also:

• CROWD, CROUTH, CROWTH

crowd of embryos proceed to establish an internecine warfare, devouring one another till only the strongest survives ! With the Mollusca, as with other See also:

• GROUPS
• GROUPS, THEORY

groups of animals, where the eggs are exposed to great risks they are small, produced in great See also:

• NUMBERS, BOOK OF
• NUMBERS, PARTITION OF

numbers, and give rise to larvae . This is well illustrated by the common See also:

• OYSTER

oyster which annually disperses about 6o,000,000 eggs . But where the risk of destruction is slight, the eggs are large and produce young differing from the parent only in size, as in the case of the pigeon-like eggs of Bulimus . Crustaceans.—Among the higher Crustacea, as a rule, the eggs are carried by the female, attached to See also:

• SPECIAL

special appendages on the under side of the body . But in some—Squillas—they are de-posited in burrows . Generally they are relatively small so that the young which emerge therefrom differ markedly in appearance from the parents, but in deep-sea and freshwater species the eggsare large, when the young, on emerging, differ but little from the adults in appearance . See also:

• INSECTS

Insects, &c.—The eggs of insects though See also:

• MINUTE
• MINUTE (Lat. minutes, small; minuere, to make less)

minute, are also remarkable for the great variety of form which they present, while they are frequently objects of great beauty owing to the sculptured markings of the shell .

They are generally laid in clusters, either on the ground, on the leaves of plants, or in the water . Some of the gnats (Culex) lay them on the water . Cylindrical in shape they are packed closely together , set on end, the whole mass forming a kind of floating raft . Frequently, as in the case of the stick and leaf See also:

• INSECT

insect, the eggs are enclosed in capsules of very elaborate shapes and highly ornamented . As to the rest of the Invertebrata—above the See also:

• PROTOZOA (Gr. 7rpwros, first, and i'woe, living thing)

Protozoa the eggs are laid in water, or in See also:

• DAMP

damp places . In the former case they are as a rule small, and give rise to larvae; while eggs hatched on See also:

• LAND

land are sometimes enclosed in capsules, " cocoons," as in the case of the See also:

• EARTHWORM

earthworm, where this capsule is filled with a milky white fluid, of a highly nutritious character, on which the embryos feed . Among some invertebrates two different kinds of eggs are laid by the same individual . The water-See also:

• FLEA (O. Eng. fleah, or flea, cognate with flee, to run away from, to take flight)

flea, Daphnia (a crustacean), lays two kinds of eggs known as " summer " and " See also:

• WINTER, JOHN STRANGE
• WINTER, PETER (c. 1755-1825)

winter " eggs . The summer eggs are carried by the female in a " brood-pooch " on the back . The " winter " eggs, produced at the approach of winter, differ markedly in appearance from the summer eggs, being larger, darker in colour, thicker shelled, and enclosed in a capsule formed from the shell or See also:

• CARAPACE (a Fr. word, from the Span. carapacho, a shield or armour)

carapace, of the parent's body . " Winter eggs," however, may be produced in the height of summer . While the" summer eggs "are unfertilized, the winter eggs are fertilized by.the male, and possess the remarkable See also:

• POWER [WILLIAM GRATTAN] TYRONE (1797-1841)

power of lying dormant for months or even years before they develop .

The See also:

• PRODUCTION (Lat. productionem, from producere, to pro-duce)

production of these two kinds of eggs is a device to overcome the See also:

• COLD (in O. Eng. cald and ceald, a word coming ultimately from a root cognate with the Lat. gelu, gelidus, and common in the Teutonic languages, which usually have two distinct forms for the substantive and the adjective, cf. Ger. Kolte, kalt, Dutch koude

cold of winter, or the drying up of the pools in which the species lives, during the See also:

• HEAT (0. E. haktu, which like " hot," Old Eng. hat, is from the Teutonic type haita, hit, to be hot; cf. Ger. hitze, heiss; Dutch, hitte, heet, &c.)

heat of the summer . The power of resistance which such eggs possess may be seen in the fact that a See also:

• SAMPLE (through the O. Fr. essemple, from Lat. exemplum; a doublet of " example ")

sample of mud which had been kept dry for ten years still contained living eggs . In deep water where neither drought nor winter cold can seriously affect the Daphnias, they propagate all the year See also:

• ROUND (O. Fr. rond, Lat. rotundus, the Fr. is the source also of Du. rond; Ger., Swed., Dan. and Nor. rond)

round by unfertilized " summer " eggs . Mollusca," Camb . Nat . Hist . (1906) . For further references to the above and other Invertebrate groups see various See also:

• TEXT (Lat. textum, woven fabric, from texere, to weave)

text-books on See also:

• ENTOMOLOGY (Gr. iv-roµa, insects, and Xiryos, a discourse)

Entomology, See also:

• ZOOLOGY (from Gr. Nov, a living thing, and ?byos, theory)

Zoology . (W . P .