Birds' Eggs and their Variations. 419 



Creepers and Wreiis^ and possibly has not many natural 

 affinities to wliicli any weight can be attached. The mem- 

 bers lay white eggs^ either plain or spotted with red_, and 

 one genus of the Wrens [Anortkura) varies in this respect. 



There are^ however, some very remarkable forms in this 

 family which deserve notice, viz., Salpornis, Tichodroma, 

 and Sj)henocichla. Salpornis will probably prove to be a 

 Creeper. To quote Oates : '' But the most remarkable 

 feature about Salpornis is that it builds a cup-shaped nest 

 on a branch of a tree, thus deviating entirely from the habits 

 of all other Creepers.'^ The eggs, too, are said to be greenish- 

 white, with a zone of blackish specks about the larger end^ 

 while some of the marks are sparsely found elsewhere. 



Sphenocichla was until recently practically an unknown 

 quantity, but I found its nest in 1899, and the eggs are 

 typical Creepers^ eggs, except that they are pure white and 

 huge for the size of the birds. 



The Regulidce form a tinj family utilized by Oates for the 

 reception of the Gold-crests, of which there are but four 

 species, the common English form extending to India. 

 Its nest and eggs are typically those of a Wren, and its 

 position, as placed by Oates between the Wrens and Warblers, 

 seems most appropriate. 



When we come to the Warblers we are at once introduced 

 to a great number of birds, on the whole far more inti- 

 mately connected structurally than are the Crateropodidce, yet 

 showing infinite diversity in their nidification and oology, 

 though, as a rule, the various genera lay eggs which may be 

 assigned to their owners without much chance of failure. 



To take these in order, we get such eggs as those laid by 

 Orthotomus, Cisticola, Franklinia, Scotocerca, Fhyller gates, 

 and Suya, which are spotted (as a rule), and all shew a certain 

 family resemblance, yet may be fairly picked out by their 

 generic distinctions. Then we have the remarkable eggs 

 of the Horornis group, including those oiHoreites and Neornis, 

 which may be roughly described as purplish or chocolate. 



The Phylloscopus group, or " Willow- Warblers " as they 

 are commonly called, may be said to include the beautiful 



