HEWITSON'S " BRITISH OOLOGY." 85 



the representation before us, more especially with No. 2, which we 

 can match exactly. Our Cole Tit's eggs, upon which the parent 

 was captured, are of a longer form than Mr. Hewitson's figure, with 

 the spots less round ; but, as we have not an extensive series, have 

 no reason to believe the representation to be inaccurate. That of 

 the Bearded Pinnock, of which we have, seen many, is very good. 



Eggs of the Blue Tit, Marsh Tit, and Rose Mufflin, occupy the 

 next plate ; and the two former are as well represented as is possible 

 with such variable subjects. Our series of those of the Blue Tit 

 graduate from the most minutely dotted examples, more so than in 

 the plate, to those in which the spots are very bold and large, and 

 few in number: the latter variety is not figured by Mr. Hewitson. 

 Those of the Marsh Tit vary similarly, but are seldom very mi- 

 nutely speckled. The Mufflin's eggs are rarely so spotted as in the 

 figure; many are pure white, with just a tinge of brown at the 

 large end. Before they are blown, all the last mentioned eggs 

 have a delicate blush appearance. 



Next we have an egg of the Shore Pipit, and two of the Common 

 or Meadow Pipit ; the former somewhat darker than our specimens, 

 which have the pale ground colour very distinct. All three are 

 excellent illustrations. We have many varieties of those of the 

 Common Pipit, and can match both Mr. Hewitson's figures exactly. 

 No. 3 is by no means a common variety, and not a little indicates 

 the affinity of these birds for the Wagtails. 



The following plate exhibits single specimens of the eggs of the 

 Pied and Grey Wagtails, and of the Golden Willet ( Budytes fla- 

 vissimaj. We cannot panegyrize the first as a typical example, 

 the Pied Wagtail's eggs being commonly somewhat more spotted, 

 and many very thickly marked, and sparrow-like ; still we have 

 some extremely like it. The eggs of this species differ chiefly from 

 many of those of the House Sparow in the spots being smaller. 

 The Grey Wagtail's egg agrees tolerably with the few we have 

 seen, and that of the Golden Willet is very fair. As Mr. Hewitson 

 remarks, the eggs of both the latter species often assume the aspect 

 of each other. 



We now open upon figures of two rare ones ; one of the Cirl 

 Bunding, which, however, is by no means a scarce species in many 

 scattered isolated localities in the southern counties ; the other, of 

 the Common Snowfleck ( Plectrophanes nivalis), about which we 

 are incompetent to offer an opinion, further than that we have no 

 doubt it is most carefully represented. It is not unlike some of 

 those of the Green Finch. We have never yet met with a Cirl 



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