60 Messrs. La Touche and Rickett on the 



lying violet marks. The ground-colour often has a pinkish 

 tinge. The spots, which are generally large and elongated, 

 are frequently thickest at the larger end, where they form 

 a small cap. 



Twenty-four eggs average l"61xl'19 in, : the largest 

 176 x 1-20, the smallest 1-49 X M6. 



An egg taken from the oviduct of a bird shot on May 11th 

 was much elongated. It was white, and had a few spots of 

 light red on the larger end, with underlying purple spots. 



Amaurornis akool (Sykes). 



This bird appears to be common in Central Fohkien. The 

 natives say that it breeds in July. 



Gallicrex cinerea (Gm.). 



A common summer-visitor about Foochow. We have, 

 however, very few specimens of its eggs. 



On August 23rd, La Touche found a nest of this bird in 

 a field of " river-rice." It was a shallow pad of dry rice- 

 blades, those on the outside being twisted into the stalks 

 of the herbage that supported the nest, which was about two 

 feet from the ground. It contained three incubated eggs. 



The eggs of this species are greenish cream-coloured or 

 deep creamy buff washed with reddish. Those of the former 

 colour are very glossy in texture, those of the latter much 

 less so. The surface-markings are of a rather pale yellowish 

 red, and in some specimens are small, being much broken up 

 into irregular spots and specks, while in others they form large 

 elongated blotches which are thickly scattered over the whole 

 shell. The underlying spots are pale purple, and are con- 

 spicuous in the glossy type. 



Six eggs average 1*63 x 1*21 in. 



Hydrophasianus chirurgus (Scop.). 

 This bird is said by the natives to breed near Foochow, 

 but we have never obtained the eggs. 



^Egialitis dealbata Swinhoe : Ibis, 1892, p. 497. 

 Three small Plovers'' eggs were given to La Touche at 

 Amoy by a Chinese friend. On going to the place where 



