Families ALAUDIDAE and MOTACILLIDAE. 

 (Plates 27—36). 



Thienemann considers the texture of the shell of Alauda, Galerida 

 and Lullula to be nearly allied, e.g., to that of Anthus, but always 

 distinguishable by a part of the pores; namely, pores which are 

 very large and slightly flat, with a deep point in the centre, the 

 edge being set in a granulated ring; one or more of such pores — 

 Thienemann states — are to be found on every Alauda-egg. I 

 have, however, I believe, also found similar pores on Anthus trivi- 

 alis-, pratensis- and campestris-eggs; and Rey does not mention this 

 characteristic: rightly, I think. 



Anthus campestris, among which arvensis-, cristata- (these two 

 species are nearly allied) as well as arborea-iy^ts are found, link 

 the Alaudidae and Motacillidae together oologically. 



Among the so very diverse egg-types of trivialis the brown or 

 grey thickly speckled type distinctly shows a near relationship to 

 the genus Alauda. 



Motacilla flava and M. boarula, mutually nearly allied, differ 

 greatly oologically from M. alba; a careful examination of the tex- 

 ture of the shell and of the nature of distribution of pigment ^rovt(iL 

 to me how nearly the first mentioned two species are allied. 



