^^2 CHABADSnO^. 



and blotched with dark brown or black, with some pale purple 

 underl3uug spots. In two examples the markings are somewhat 

 large and coarse ; in the others they are small and delicate. Two 

 specimens measure respectively: 1"4 by '93; 1'32 by •97. 



4. Victoria, Austraha. Gould Coll. 



Sub-Family HIMANTOPODIN^. 



Genus HIMANTOPUS, Briss. 

 Himantopus himantopus (Linn.). 



Himantopus vulgaris, Thien. Fortpjlanz. ges. Vog. tab. Ixiii. fi.g. 5, a-c ; 



tab. ic. tig. 21 a, b (184o-.34). 

 Himantopus melaaopterus, Baedeker, J. f. O. 1856, p. 34, taf. ii. fig. 17 ; 



Hewitson, Eggs of Brit. Birds, ii. p. 341, pi. xcii. tig. i (1856) ; 



Saluin, Ihis, 1859, p. 360; Tristram, Ibis, 1860, p. 79; Saunders, 



Ibis, 1871, p. 387 ; Seehohm, Brit. Birds, iii. p. 79, pi. 24 (1885) ; id. 



Geoqr. Distr. Cliaradriidce, p. 277 (1887j ; id. Eggs of Brit. Birds, 



p. 129, pi. 38. tigs. 4, 6 (1896). 

 Himantopus candidus, Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vng. tab. 37. fig. 5 (1855- 



63) ; Dresser, Birds Eur. vii. p. 587 (1877); Legge, Birds Ceylon,^. 919 



(1880) ; Oates ed. Hume, Nests Sc Eggs Ind. Birds, iii. p. 353 (1890) ; 



Barnes, Journ. Bomb. Nat. Hist. Soc. vi. p. 182, pi. — . fig. 898 



(1891) ; Poynting, Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 85, pi. 20 (1895-96). 

 Himantopus himantopus, Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xxiv. p. 310 (1896) ; 



id. Hand-l. i. p. 150 (1899;. 



The eggs of the Common Stilt are pyriform or of a ]iointed oval 

 shape. Many have a small amount of gloss, others entirely want it. 

 The ground is of various shades of buff, olive-buff, and greenish 

 stone-colour, but some specimens are so pale as to be almost cream- 

 colour. The markings are dark brown, umber-brown, or black, and 

 consist of well-defined spots, streaks, and blotches, scattered very 

 evenly over the whole shell. On some examples these markings 

 are larger and more frequent at the large end, but they seldom form 

 a cap. The underlying markings are pale purple. The eggs 

 measure from 1-5 to 1-8 in length, and from 1"1 to 1-32 in breadth, 



1. Coto del Rey, Seville, Spain {H. Seebohm Coll. 



Saunders) . 



2. Coto del Rey, 2nd May [H. S.). Seebohm Coll. 

 4. Coto del Rey, 2nd Mav (H. S.). Seebohm Coll. 



3. Coto del Rey, 4th May (H. .S.). Seebohm Coll. 



4. Coto del Rey, 4th May (H. S.). Seebohm Coll. 

 1. San Lucar, Spain {H. S. : Har- Seebohm CoU. 



gitt Coll.). 

 1. Lake Tulza, Dobrudscha, 7th Seebohm Coll. 



June {H. Seebohm). 

 4. Lake Tulza, 7th June (H. S.). Seebohm Coll. 



8. Lake Tulza, 7th June (H S. : Seebohm Coll. 



four clutches of two eggs each). 

 4. Sarepta, S.E. Russia (Stader : Seebohm Coll. 



Hargitt Coll.). 



