Birds' Eggs and their Variations. 431 



the lichen-adornments so mucli utilized by the latter birds. 

 It lays pale greenish-grey or green eggs, very profusely covered 

 with brown and purple markings o£ a longitudinal character, 

 the general aspect of the egg being dark green. 



The Swallow-Shrikes also lay eggs of a distinctly Shrike- 

 like type, though they vary inter se very greatly. 



The Orioles {Oriolidce), which succeed the Shrikes, but 

 with which they have little, if any, connexion, compose a 

 very well-defined family. They all make similar nests, and 

 lay eggs any one of which would practically serve for that 

 of another species, though distinguishable iu some cases by 

 an expert. 



After the Orioles, according to Oates, come the Enlubetidce 

 and Styrnid(e,i\\c first containing theGrackles or Hill-Mynas, 

 and the second the true Mynas and Starlings. 



The only difference between the two families from an 

 oologist's point of view is that one lays plain blue eggs and 

 the other spotted. Even this, however, is a matter of degree, 

 for the Indian Grackle sometimes lays eggs which are prac- 

 tically unspotted. Very likely these two groups should only 

 be considered as subfamilies of the Sturnuke, and, as already 

 mentioned, Psaroglossa should be incorporated with the 

 EidabetincB. 



The Fly-catchers (Musicapidce) are contained in 17 genera, 

 and there is considerable diversity in their eggs, but a grada- 

 tion, both of colour and tint, can be obtained from one 

 extreme to the other. 



Thus green olive-tinted examples iu Cyornls may be 

 graded into those of Siphia, and thence into those of 

 Stoparola, Niltava, and finally into the pink-spotted eggs of 

 the Paradise Fly-catchers. On the other hand, the specimens 

 in Cyornis maybe graded into those oi Alseonax, CuJicicapa, 

 andRhipidura, but the majority of the genera have the eggs 

 fairly characteristic. 



The Ttirdida, or Thrushes, constitute another very large 

 family divided into various subfamilies, which may be 

 designated Chats {Saxicolince) , Redstarts (Ruticillina) , True 

 Thrushes {Turdina), Dippers or Water-Ouzels {Cinclin(s), 



