464 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1892. 



niann, Hewitson, Brewer, of this country, Taczanowski, Lefevre, Bade- 

 ker, aud special memoirs in the publications of the learned societies. 



With the information then upon the form of birds' eggs in general given 

 as above by Xewton, and the facts that birds so low in the scale of organ- 

 ization as the Ostriches, Emus, Cassowaries, Apteryx, Tinainous, and 

 Penguins lay eggs varying all the way from 1 to 30, being either globular 

 or ellipsoidal in form, white or uni tinted in color, with highly polished 

 shells or the reverse case, I turned to the oology of existing reptiles 

 to ascertain if possible what its study would offer in contrast. With 

 this in view I communicated with my friend Prof. Samuel Garman, of 

 the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard College, and in his 

 reply the following facts were kindly placed at my disposal.* That 

 distinguished herpetologist, observes: "All eggs of reptiles, so far as 

 1 know, are white. Those eggs with a limy covering are pure white; 

 those leather-covered, without the lime, are sometimes dingy to yellow- 

 ish, or flesh tinted. Marine tortoises lay spherical eggs. So, also, do 

 various river tortoises, as Podqcnemys of the Amazon. In species lay- 

 ing ellipsoidal eggs individuals sometimes vary to the spheroidal, in 

 the snapping tortoise (Chelydori) for instance. Some of the land or box 

 tortoises lay a very small number of eggs, possibly the smallest among 

 the reptiles. The largest number is attained by sea tortoises, species 

 of which are said to lay more than 200 in a season. The Crocodiloidea 

 also lay large numbers. Some of the smaller lizards lay very few; the 

 average will probably be smaller in lizards than in tortoises or snakes. 

 The lizard's eggs with which I am acquainted are all ellipsoidal in 

 shape. A near approach to the spheroid is made in some cases, as 

 Gonatodes, a small Geckoid. The greatest departure from the sphe- 

 roid is seen in some snakes, as for instance Scatophis or Pityophis. Of 

 tortoises or lizards I know none that incubate, though some of the lat- 

 ter have acted as if keeping guard over the eggs until hatched. As 

 you are aware a arious lizards and snakes hatch the eggs before extru- 

 sion, being ovoviviparous. The pythons coil around the eggs to hatch 

 them. Both ends of the reptile egg are usually alike ; neither is pointed 

 as in a bird. The alligator, as you know, has a habit of nesting like 

 that of the Megapodes of the birds."' 



It is as well to remark at this point that, according to Wallace, t the 



*Dr. Leonard Stejneger, curator of the department of reptiles, U. S. National 

 Museum, also seut me a letter on the sam«gubject, for which I desire to express my 

 thanks. Such information as he was able to furnish me, however, is contained iu 

 Prof. Carman's letter, where the ground is more fully covered. 



tWallace. A. P., The Malay Archipelago, New York, 1869, p. 166. Upon pages 402 

 and 403 of this work the author also says of M. wallacei that it " comes down to the 

 seabeach to deposit its eggs; hut instead of making a mound or scratching a hole 

 to receive them, it burrows into the sand to the depth of about 3 feet obliquely 

 downward and deposits its eggs at the bottom. It then loosely covers up the mouth 

 of the hole, and is said by the natives to obliterate and disguise its own footmarks 



