^'"'^■^^'] Shvi KL\yr, Study of Biyds' Eggs. igg 



Noddy, elegant series of Rynchops, and many others. There are 

 egss of nearly every species of North American (iull and Tern, 

 and some foreign ones. 



Passing to the Tubinarine birds, we find a splendid specimen 

 of tfie egg of the Black-footed Albatross {Diomedea nigripes), 

 plenty of Fulmars, Petrels, and Shearwaters, there being five or 

 six species of each of the latter groups and a few of the Fulmars. 

 Before lca\-ing the Auks I should have mentioned two eggs of a 

 (iuillemot {Ccpphiis coliiinba), collected on the Faralone Island 

 by Mr. Chester Barlow, an ornithologist so much beloved by all 

 who knew him during his brief life's career. Many thoughts of 

 bygone days arose in my mind, as, alone in my study, I was 

 engaged in photographing one of these eggs. 



Steganopodine birds, though pretty well represented, pale, 

 indeed, before the superb series of sets of eggs of nearly all the 

 Mergansers, Ducks, Geese, and Swans. There are full sets of 

 both species of Tree-Ducks {Dcndrocygna) and many of the rarer 

 ones among the Geese. Then we find Flamingo eggs, those of the 

 Scarlet Ibis {Guar a rubra), and a great many others among the 

 American Waders. Aramiis vocifertis is also here, and some of 

 the Cranes. All the North American Rails are represented ex- 

 cept the Yellow Rail {Cotiirnicops nivehoracensis), even including 

 the Black Rail [Creciscus jamaicensis). Full sets of all three of 

 the Phalaropes are found, as well as those of the Avocet, of 

 Himanlopus mcxicanus, Wilson Snipe, and lots of rare eggs of 

 Plovers and Sandpipers, Arenaria, and the Oyster-catchers. 



The Gallinaceous birds and the Pigeons are in fine sets, the 

 Ground Doves among the latter being represented [Chce-mepelia). 

 The Ptarmigans — well, I could spend a whole evening examining 

 and comparing those delicate and striking objects — they are fine ! 



Coming to the Raptorial birds, Mr. Court has himself collected 

 many sets of eggs of the Bald Eagle {Haliactiis I. lencocephalus), 

 and no end of Falcons, Hawks, Vultures, and their kin near and 

 remote. We are shown a fine set {\) of Falco niexicamis, and other 

 rarities. Leaving these and passing to the Owls, many North 

 American species are well represented, as Altcco, both species of 

 Asio. Strix (of which he possesses an egg of most extraordinary 

 sphericity, lacking but little of being a perfect sphere), Hawk- 

 Owl (I), various species of Otus and Bubo, Speotyto, and so on. 

 Akin to the Owls we have the Caprimulgine birds, or Goatsuckers, 

 of which nearly every species is represented, and half of our 

 Humming-Birds are here, and, as is often the case in collections, 

 the sets are in the nests in which they were found. 



For some reason there are very few eggs of Woodpeckers, and 

 Mr. Court has not given much attention to the Passeres, so we 

 find but few eggs of Warblers, Flycatchers, Sparrows, and many 

 others of the group. Still, there are numerous interesting sets 

 even here, and that there are gaps is explained by the greater 

 attraction the Raptorial and Anserine fowls have had for him. 

 When one has, among hundreds of other experiences of the kind. 



