Premise: Blacky bit his tongue to keep from giving a sharp caw of disappointment and surprise .<br>There were no eggs to be seen .<br>No , Sir , there was n't a sign of eggs in that old nest .<br>There was n't because -- why , do you think ?<br>There was n't because Blacky looked straight down on a great mass of feathers which quite covered them from sight , and he did n't have to look twice to know that that great mass of feathers was really a great bird , the bird to whom those eggs belonged .
Hypothesis: The bird was dead however.