On Indian Birds' Eggs. 411 



XXX. — On Indian Birds' Eggs and their Variations, 

 By E. C. Stuart Baker, F.Z.S.-:^ 



It is only of late years tliat naturalists have begun to 

 assign much importance to birds' eggs from any point of 

 view. Now, however, it is beginning to dawn on many of 

 them that the colour, the texture, and even the shape of these 

 may have some connexion with, and may assist in deter- 

 mining, the classification of birds. It is therefore very 

 interesting to note all individual differences in birds' eggs 

 and, further, their generic and family variations. The 

 subject, however, opens up so vast a field that it behoves us 

 to take only a very fragmentary portion on which to dilate, 

 otherwise we may wander from the infinite individual variety 

 shown in the Guillemots' eggs to the very startling contrasts 

 shown in those of Cetti's Warbler, and may cover the whole 

 world and yet not make much advance. Here, in India, if 

 we confine our attention to the Passerine birds, ample and 

 interesting work may be found to occupy an indefinite time 

 If we take up the ' Fauna of British India ' (Oates and 

 Bhmford) and turn to the very first family, the Corvidce, 

 that is to say the Crows and their nearest allies, we find 

 that Oates has divided it into three subfamilies, containing, 

 firstly, the Ravens, Crows, Magpies, and Nutcrackers, which 

 he unites in the subfamily Corvina, or typical Crows ; 

 secondly, the Parince, or Titmice ; and thirdly, the Paradox- 

 urniihincB, or birds which he designates Crow-Tits. 



Everyone, of course, knows what a common Indian Crow's 

 egg is like, and we find that in those of the Corvince there 

 is a strong family likeness in all cases. An objector may 

 pick np a Crow's egg and then one of the common Indian 

 Magpie {Dendrocitta rufa^ and ask wherein the resemblance 

 lies. It is there all the same : first let him get a series of 

 these eggs and he will find some more typically Crow-like 

 than others ; then let him collect a series belonging to the 



* Keprinted from ' The A^ian Sporting Newspaper ' of October 16th, 

 1900. With corrections and additions by the Author. 



2e 2 



