Mr. J. H. Gurney on the Egg o/Vultur auricularis. 207 



and was meditating a trip to Cedar Keys, on the Gulf of Mexico, 

 which is easily accessible by the lately constructed railroad from 

 Fernandina. There I hoped to have found fresh varieties of 

 birds, or at least that some of those already seen would prove to 

 be more plentiful. But the news of the capture of Fort Sumter 

 delayed my departure ; and when, three days later, I heard of 

 the secession of Virginia, the burning of the navy-yard at Nor- 

 folk, and the capture of the armoury at Harper's Ferry, with the 

 probable interruption of the mails and means of communication, 

 I thought it advisable to move northwards while I could. Ac- 

 cordingly I closed my ornithological campaign in Florida, and 

 returned to Baltimore the same way that I came. 



In three months I could do great things in Florida, both in 

 birds and eggs. Five weeks is too short a time, especially when 

 one goes as a stranger and has to learn all the localities. My 

 experience teaches me (and Florida affords no exception) that it is 

 necessary to go to a place once to know how to go to it a second 

 time ; for the reports and information of others are but of se- 

 condary utility, as no two persons' experience is alike. I should 

 like to be in Florida from December until the middle of May, 

 before which one should not leave. The climate is then delicious 

 and perfectly healthy, and during that time there is nothing to 

 be done in the northern States. 



XXIV. — Further note on the Eggs of Vultur auricularis and 

 Aquila audax. By J. H. Gurney. 



The second volume of ' The Ibis ' contains, in page 171, a notice 

 of the eggs laid in the years 1859 and 1860 by a Vulture in my 

 collection, of the great South African species, Vultur auricularis 

 of Daudin. This bird has since laid two more eggs, being in all 

 four eggs in four successive years, and at the following dates : — 

 15th of February, 1859; 23rd of February, 1860; 20th of 

 February, 1861 ; and 26th of February, 1862. 



The character and colouring of all these eggs are similar, the 

 ground being white, and the markings rufous, varying in extent 

 and in intensity, but chiefly aggregated at the obtuse end of the 



egg- 



