ig8 Shufeldt, Study of Birds' Eggs. [isfXn 



Study of Birds* Eggs. 



Collection of Edward J. Court, Washington D.C. 



By (Dr.) R. W. Shufeldt. 



Recently I had, through the courtesy of Mr. Edward J. Court, 

 an associate of the American Ornithologists' Union, the oppor- 

 tunity of studying his valuable collection of birds' eggs, and of 

 making photographs of such specimens as I required This 

 collection is kept at Mr. Court's home at 1723 Newton-street, 

 Washington, D.C, where every opportunity was given me to 

 examine it. and even to take many specimens temporarily to my 

 own home for photographic purposes. My friend is a most 

 enthusiastic and conscientious collector, having taken a large 

 number of his specimens himself — especially the larger Raptorial 

 birds — while through exchanges, extending over many years, he 

 has brought together a most interesting series of sets of bii'ds' 

 eggs from other parts of the world. Upon an approximate com- 

 putation, this collection consists of some 7,000 specimens, many 

 of which are in full sets, and, taken by countries, some 2,000 of 

 these are of Australian birds, 4,000 North and South American, 

 1,000 European, besides a few from Japan and other parts of the 

 world. They are preserved in a cabinet in neat trays, and are 

 scientifically marked and catalogued. In the course of my con- 

 nections with museums, and studying material of this class, 

 including the enormous collection of birds' eggs at the United 

 States National Museum, I have yet to meet with better-prepared 

 eggs of birds than those possessed by Mr. Court. Not only is 

 each specimen in a perfect state and clean, but it is a marvel when 

 we come to examine the drill-holes in his specimens, and we ai-e 

 left to wonder how he ever succeeded in evacuating the contents 

 of eggs through such minute openings. Often these latter are 

 not larger than to admit the passage of the smallest size of sewing 

 needle, and in some finely-speckled eggs easily escape our attention. 



Up to the present time not much attention has been given to 

 the nidology of the birds of the Philippines, though I came across, 

 in the collection, a beautiful specimen of the nest and a set of 

 eggs {\) of the Weaver-Bird {Gerygone simplex), from Cavite. 

 Among the North American birds, however, there are full sets of 

 eggs of all the Grebes among the Pygopodes, and all the Loons 

 [Urinatoridce), save the Pacific and Yellow-billed; while the 

 series in the cases of the Puffins, Auks, and Auklets and related 

 forms are beautiful For example, in the case of the Murre (Uria 

 troille troille) there is a remarkable series, especially brought 

 together to show the great variation in the matters of form and 

 colour of the eggs of this species. It was this series that first 

 tempted me to make some photographs of Mr. Court's eggs. 



Among the Longipennine birds, the collection is especially 

 strong in the case of the Gulls and Terns and allied groups. We 

 find sets of Kumlien Gull, the White-winged Black Tern, Ridgway 



