86 



Genus TOXOSTOMA, Wagl 



It is somewhat difficult to give any satisfactory general descrip- 

 tion of the eggs of Toxostoma ; but it may be noticed that there are 

 two very distinct and extrems forms — one {T. rufum) in which the 

 pale greyish or greyish-blue ground-colour is almost concealed by 

 the fine markings of reddish brown all over the surface ; and the 

 other (T. crissale) of pure spotless blue of medium intensity. 

 Starting from T. rufum, the eggs would seem to run in a descending 

 scale of red markiLgs and an ascending scale of blue ground-colour, 

 through T. lomjirostre, T. cinereum, T. bendlrei, T. curvirostre, 

 T. iKilmeri, T. redivivum, and T. lecontei in the order named, to 

 T. crissale, the blue form. 



Taken as a whole, the eggs of this genus do not vary much 

 in size ; they are only moderately glossy. 



Toxostoma rufum (Linn.). 



Turdus rufus, Tkien. Fvrtiiflanz. ges. T'of/. tab. xxiv. fig. 21 (1845-54). 



Harporhynchus rufus, Coues, Birds N.-West, p. 9 (1874) ; Baird, Brewer 

 ^ itidyw. N. Amer. Birds, i. p. 37 (1874) ; Coues, Birds Colorado 

 Vail. p. 61 (1878) ; Sluuye, Cat. Birds B. M. vi. p. 353 (1881) ; 

 Nehrk. Kat. Eiersamml. p. 49 (1899). 



Toxostoma rufum, Sharpe, Hand-l. iv. p. 106 (1903). 



The eggs of the Brown Thrasher are of a regular oval form, and 

 are very pale grey or greyish blue, densely marked with minute 

 dots of light reddish brown. In most specimens the markings are 

 very iiniformly distributed over the entire shell, but in a few they 

 are denser at the broad end and form an ill-defined cap. Specimens 

 measure from -94 to 1"14 in length, and from •12 to -8 in breadth. 



7. North America ( Tristram Coll.). Crowley Bequest. 



4. North America (Smiths. Inst.). Salvin-Godniau Coll. 



1. North America. Salviu-Godman Coll. 



6. North America. W. Eadclifi'e Saunders, Esq. 



[P.]. 



3. Fort Dufferin, Manitoba, 16th June N. Amer. Boimd. Comm. 



(G. M. Dawson). 



9. Massachusetts (Benshato Coll.). Salviu-Godman Coll. 



4. Pennsylvauia (S. F. Baird). PrmcetonUniversity,N.J.[E.]. 



2. New York (J. G. Bell : Tristram Crowley Bequest. 



Coll.). 



, Toxostoma cinereum (Xantus). 



Harporhynchus cinereus, Xantus, Proc. Philad, Acad. 1859, p. 298; 

 Baird, Brewer ^- Ridgw. N. Amer, Birds, i. p. 40 (1874) ; S/tarpe, 

 Cat. Birds B. M. vi. p. 365 (1881) ; Nehrk. Kat. Eiersamml. p. 49 

 (1899). 



Toxostoma cinereum, Sharpe, Hand-l. iv. p. 106 (1903). 



The eggs of the Cape St. Lucas Thrasher and of the species next 

 in order, the Arizona Thrasher, appear to have more general 



