TOMPARATIVE OOLOGY OF NORTH AMKUICAN HIRDS. 



473 



(Cones, p. TOG). Eider Ducks also lay from 8 to 10 drab-colored eggs, 

 and the Mergansers lay about an equal number — they being white in 

 the Hooded Mergansers (/,. cucullatus) (Ridgway). Swans and (ieese, 

 then, as a rule, lay the fewest number of eggs, and certain varieties of 

 the smaller species of Ducks tlie greatest number, and at least one an- 

 serine bird lays spotted eggs (P. canagica — the Emperor Goose). 



When we come to examine the oology of the great Columbo-gallina- 

 ceous group, one well represented in the avifauna of the United States, 

 it is possible to make the comparisons quite extensive, owing to Ben- 

 dire's exhaustive labors, as seen in his fiim quarto volume already 

 spoken of at the beginning of this paper. This 1 shall endeavor to do 

 in a table, incorporating also the observations of Dr. Coues and Mr. 

 Ridgway, and giving the majority of the species of the two suborders 

 (GaUhuv and Columbce): 



Oology of American Gallince. 



[Pagination after Dr. Coues's name refers to his "Key" (rev. ed. 1884), after Ridgway'a to his, 

 "Manual," and alter Bendire's his "Life Histories of North American Birds." Nomenclature of 

 A. O. U. "Checklist."] 



Groups, species, etc. 



Colinus . 



Dr. Coues. 



Eidgwa-j 



Bend ire. 



Oreortypt pietus 



Callipepla squamata . . 



Eggs white, pyriform, 

 numerous {Ortyx. p. 

 589). 



Eggs colored: a mina- 

 ture of the ruffled 

 grouse's, only distin- 

 guislied by smaller 

 size (p. "i'JI). 



Eggs Kl-12-16, rather 

 elliptical than coni- 

 cal, white, minutely 

 freckled with buff 

 (p. 594). 



Gyrtonyx Not given 



Dendragapus obscurus. 



Bonasa umbelhis. 



Lagopus . 



Tympanuclius. 



Eggs creamy-buff, fine- 

 ly freckled all over 

 with chocolate-brown, 

 seldom with any large 

 spots (p. 579). 



Eggs very characteris- 

 tic, from creamy white 

 to creamy butt' usual- 

 ly immaculate, some- 

 times minutely dotted, 

 etc. ; pyriform (p. 585). 



Eggs very heavily col- 

 ored, with bold con- 

 fluent blotches of in- 

 tense burnt-sienna 

 color, upon a more or 

 less reddish -tinted 

 buff ground (p. 586). 



Pale green ish-gr ay , 

 with sometimes a 

 glaucous bloom, usu- 

 ally unmarked, some- 

 times very minutely 

 dotted with brown 

 <p.584). 



Egg3 numerous (12 to 

 upward of 20). pyri- 

 form-ovate, w hit e, 

 usually more or less 

 stained (adventitious- 

 ly?) with light brown 

 (p. 187). 



Eggs cream color or 

 creamy buff, varying 

 in depth of color 

 (p. 190). 



Eggs whit e, b u ff y 

 white or pale buffy, 

 visually more or less 

 distinctly sprinkled or 

 speckled with brown 

 (p. 191). 



Egg (identification 

 very doubtful) plain 

 white (p. 194). 



Eggs 8-15, buffy or pale 

 brownish, sprinkled, 

 speckled, or more rare- 

 ly spotted with dark 

 brown (p. 194). 



Eggs 6-10 or more, buffy, 

 usually plain, some- 

 times speckled with 

 brown (p. 197). 



Eggs about 10-16, more 

 or less heavily spotted 

 or marbled with dark 

 brown or black on a 

 buffy or light-rusty 

 ground (p. 198). 



Eggs 8-12, light drab, 

 olive, or dull buffy, 

 etc. (p. 2021. 



Eggs varying from 12-18; 

 in form from round 

 ovate to subpyriform 

 in shape ; are du'llwhite 

 in color, slightly glos- 

 sy, sometimes stained 

 with grass or soil (pp. 

 4,6). O. virginianus. 



Same as Ridgway. 

 Shape short ovate; re- 

 semble unmarked eggs 

 of ruffed grouse (p. 14). 



Number ranges from 

 9-16. Lusterless; pale 

 buff; markings sharp, 

 small, bro.vn to fawn, 

 equally distributed 

 (p. 21). 



Eggs 10; rather glossy, 

 w bite; generally ovate 

 in form (p. 40). 



Eggs average 8-12; 

 ovate in shape; pale 

 cream to cream buff; 

 more or less spotted 

 over entire surface 

 with fine dots of chest- 

 nut-brown (p. 49). 



Eggs 8-14, average 11, 

 ovate or short ovate, 

 milky white to pinkish 

 buff, occasionally 

 finely speckled, etc. 

 (p. 63). 



Eggs average 11-16, ovate 



to elongO-OVate, cream 

 color to reddish buff, 

 some specimens heav- 

 ily marked with con- 

 tinent blotches and 

 markings (p. 74). 



