Bii'ds' Eggs and their Variations. 415 



much the same degree. The shells in the white-headed birds^ 

 however, are far denser, harder, and more polished, though 

 not so glossy as in some other cases ; and the surface, if 

 examined very carefully, wil. be found to be much pitted, a 

 characteristic which I have noted in no other egg in this 

 subfamily except in that of Dryonastes galbaaus. 



It is very curious to note that both the above-mentioned 

 genera lay two varieties of eggs, as they are naturally 

 linked together by Austen^s Laughing Thrush, which itself 

 lays eggs either pure white, or of the distinct yet pale blue 

 of the egg of the Rufous-necked Laughing Thrush. 



We are hence led naturally, according to the egg system, into 

 the TimeMnce, the members of which normally lay spotted 

 eggs. Examining this group, we find that there is one genus 

 which does not usually do so, viz. Stachyris, which consists 

 (so far as India is concerned) of three little birds, two of 

 which, the Golden Babbler and the Allied Babbler, are 

 practically identical, and the last is the Black-throated 

 Babbler. Now, this genus Stachyris formerly contained 

 other species, which lay spotted eggs, but Oates — partly for 

 that reason — formed them into a new genus Stachyridopsis. 

 I now find, however, that all the members of the first-named 

 genus sometimes lay spotted eggs also. I have several 

 clutches of those of the Golden Babbler in my collection 

 which are distinctly spotted, in one case almost profusely ; 

 and I have also an egg of the Black-throated Babbler which 

 has faintly discernible marks on it (this and one other are 

 the only spotted specimens I have seen among some three 

 or four hundred clutches assigned to the latter bird). 



In this genus Stachyris, wliicli sometimes lays spotted, 

 though generally pure white eggs, we have the connecting 

 link with the last subfamily. 



The third subfamily, Brachypterygince, is of a rather mixed 

 nature, and contains certain birds the position of which will 

 have to be altered. 



Broadly speaking, the eggs in this group are marked in some 

 way, with the exception of those o1 Hodgsonius, Larvivora, and 

 the White-eyes [Zosterops). The Short-wings {Brachypteryx 



