Evening star., 1945-01-09
This and That
BIZ Charles E. TraceUeH,

Dear Sir:
Reading your column quite regularly
I often note that in your Identification
and description of various birds you
frequently include a description of the
birds eggs giving size, coloration and
the number usually found in the nest.
Since nature does nothing haphaz-
ardly, why, would you say, are some
eggs robins egg blue, others creamy
white dotted with tiny points of law
ender and brown, etc. For what pur-
pose is this coloration? And do the
differing numbers of eggs in various
types of birds nests have a direct re-
lationship to the hazard of a particu-
lar species reaching maturity?
Sincerely yours, H. H. B."
Scientists tell us that the relation of
colored eggs to the environment is diff
ficult to interpret as an intelligible ad-
justment Of conditions to the environ
ment.
In most cases, they say. no ingenuity
Is able to suggest, far less prove, that
there is any utility in the colors and
patterns.
1t would be very pretty to be able to
say the opposite, to believe that nature
never does anything haphazardly, and
that every dot on a birds egg means
something.
About all the coloration means, evil
IDENTIFY, is what the scientists call spec
iflcity, or individuality; that Is, what
makes one species different from all
others.
It need not have any utilitarian in
depreciation at all.
e Pigments are secreted by the walls
OF the lower part Of the oviduct and
as the egg is moved forward many diff
ferent blotches, dots and streaks are
produced in the shell.
All these interesting patterns are
merely end products of more important
processes in the metabolism of the
oviduct.
One eminent scientist puts 1t this
way:
Among birds almost every kind OF
egg, white, evenly tinted with some
bright color, spotted or blotched, is to
be found, and he would be ingenious
indeed who could arrange them in any
system coherent with their environ
ment."
Well, II the scientists can't find any
design, particularly, in the colors of
birds eggs, the rest Of us will not be
able to, that is certain, although there
always will remain a belief, perhaps,
that 1t would have been better If we
could.
There Is still some hope for the more
romantic idea. Experts tell us that the
colors and patterns of eggs may be
survivalS from circumstances in which
they were useful.
In other words, in the remote past,
they may have had a meaning or
purpose, but that today they have no
more real meaning than our appendix,
whose real purpose Is unknown.
Let us feel reasonably sure. then
that if the colors and patterns of birds
mean nothing they still remain re-
markably interesting and in many cases
very beautiful and intriguing as de-
signs.
It must be kept in mind that birds
are among the most intelligent and
successful Of living things. Their eyes,
their minds, their capabilities. as liv-
Ing creatures, are at the top Of natures
heap.
They are marvellous adaptations.
even their breathing being OF the sort
which flying increases. They do not
need a second wind" as humans often
do when they exert themselves. The
peak of bird breathing comes in the
exhalation, and this is bettered the
faster the bird flies. Birds are filled
with good clean pure blood and they
operate, as living creatures, at high
speed, burning themselves up as quick
-ly as they eat, so that they are always
just one jump, or should we say flight,
ahead OF death. This gives them that
peculiar intensity which has made
such an appeal to so many persons, who
rightly recognize in them something
OF the sad loveliness commonly associ-
ated with those peculiarly beautiful
children who seem too good, q We say,
for this world. 7s' I