Birds' E<jij^ ill- the Transxxial Museum. *.)0 



Sizes. Clutch 1. (a) ;>;}-7 X 43-4 mm. 



\l>) 50-9 X 41-5 „ 



((•) 49-0 X 39-4 „ 



Clutch 2. (a) 51-6 X 41-8 „ 



{h) 54-4X42-G „ 



53G. Elaxus CJiRULEUS (DesL), (Black - shouldered 

 Kite.) 



1. Clutch 2 : 23. 5. 05. Wolmaranstad, Transvaal : e coll. 



Austin Roberts. 



2. Clutch 3 : 16. 11. 04. Potchefstroom, Transvaal : 



from same collection as clutch 1. 



3. One egg : no date. Natal : presented by Field. 



No. 1 clutch is extremely beautiful. In shape slightly 

 elongated oval ; texture smooth and surface dull. 



Colour. Ground-colour white. One egg is capped almost 

 completely over its obtuse half with deep rich brownish 

 chocolate splashes, the lower half of the egg being almost 

 uncoloured. The second egg is similar, but the splashings, 

 though not so numerous, are richer and darker. 



Sizes. 39-5 X 30-8 ; 40-0 x 31-7 mm. 



No. 2 clutch is not nearly so handsome. In the first egg 

 there is again the capping of colour at the obtuse end, but 

 the spots and splashes are well distributed over the lower 

 half ; in the second egg, though the cap it still well marked, 

 the other part of the egg has strong markings ; whilst in the 

 third egg the markings are more evenly distributed, with tho 

 splashes chiefly at the lower half. 



The colouring in this clutch is not so rich as in the former, 

 and of a plainer brown colour. 



Sizes. 39-0 X 31-9; 38-3 x 31-0; 39-Gx30-0mm. 



The single egg from Natal is more like No. 1 clutch, but 

 the splashes are not so confluent and their colour more olive- 

 brown, possibly due to slight fading. 



540. AcciriTEH rufiventris, A. Sm. (African Sparrow 

 Hawk.) 



One egg : Oct. 1892. Graham-town. Ciipe Colonv : e coll. 

 K. H. Ivv. 



