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The Crow egg is particularly difficult to describe ; it is only by close study 

 that the beauty of an egg becomes apparent, a typical egg appearing a 

 dirty olive-brown or olive-green, at a passing glance. The pattern may 

 consist of but one pigment, but that being semi-transparent, the numer- 

 ous spots and blotches of deep brown are transformed into various olives 

 and the shell markings into greys and dull purples. I have never fully 

 understood these same "shell markings." The same tints are evident in 

 the shells of many other eggs, with varying degrees of brightness, seem- 

 ingly making no difference whether the shell be white or colored. In my 

 succeeding remarks I will describe the coloration as it appears to the eye. 

 The usual markings are in the shape of spots and blotches, often so 

 thick as to cover the ground color, usually heaviest at the larger end. 

 Sometimes a set will contain eggs totally unlike in color and markings. 

 Usually the first egg deposited is the most heavily marked and the last 

 egg comparatively lightly marked, often almost spotless. Rarely an egg 

 or set of eggs will be found without a spot or blotch. Such a set is de- 

 scribed by me under the head of Descriptions of Sets, and a similar set 

 may be found in the magnificent collection of J. Parker Norris. Rev. P. B. 

 Peabody and others, mention "spotless blue" eggs, but the notes are very 

 meagre. The primary cause of such eggs is undoubtedly that of over-pro- 

 duction. The female, by producing an unusual number of eggs, exhausts the 

 contents of the color ducts. The usual markings are of olive-green, olive, 

 and olive-brown, with shell markings of various greys and dull purples. 

 Mr. Stephen J. Adams describes an egg colored exactly like a typical egg 

 of the Ked-winged Blackbird [A^e/az us phcvf/i'ce/is), but of the average 

 size. Others describe specimens with the coloration in streaks and scrawls. 

 Mr. Samuel L. Bacon gives an example of the similarity of successive 

 .sets of eggs laid by the same bird : "I have in my collection two sets of 

 eggs, the similarity of which makes them remarkable. Each set con- 

 tains four eggs, and I am sure this was the full complement in both cases. 

 The eight eggs are of one size and shape, all being a little shorter and 

 more pointed at smaller ends than is usually the case with Crows' eggs. 

 Each set contains three dark-green eggs and one of a light blue color, 

 with olive markings few and far between. Now these sets were taken 

 from elms (within fifty feet of each other) in an open farming country, 

 and as no leaves were on the trees they could be seen for miles. The first 

 set was taken April 28, 1890, and the second set April 22, 1892, a lapse of 

 two years. To my mind these were laid by the same bird ; but as I un- 

 fortunately shot her when she left the second nest, I will never get the set 

 in triplicate." I could give further instances in support of this theory, 

 but consider the above sufficient. 



