4 The Oologists Record, March i, 1922. 



records for a number of years show, 3 nests in December, i in 

 January, 2 in February, 2 in April, i in June and i in July. 



The number of eggs is normally two. I have never found less, 

 and only once three. In that instance there was little doubt that 

 the third egg had been laid by another bird. It differed in colour 

 to the other two and was quite fresh, whereas the other two were 

 in a very advanced stage of incubation. 



In shape, the eggs are pyriform, but only slightly so, many 

 eggs being almost regular ovals. The ground colour varies little, 

 being either pale or dark cream. There are three distinct t5^pes 

 of markings : — 



(i) Shell covered with an intricate and beautiful tracery 

 consisting of fine hair-like lines of dark brown and dark 

 greenish-brown with underlying conspicuous blotches of 

 light purplish-grey. 



(2) Shell covered with similar tracery of fine and coarse lines 



of several shades of brown, some almost black, with under- 

 lying markings of blotches of light purplish-grey. 



(3) In this type the mai kings consist of coarse, short lines, 



blotches and spots of dark brown to dark purplish-brown, 



evenly, but not very densely, scattered over the v/hole 



shell. The underlying markings, consisting of blotches 



of purplish-grey, are very bold and distinct. 



I have one egg which is marked, in addition to the lines, with 



large confluent blotches of very dark brown, almost black, on the 



broader end. In nearly all eggs of this species the markings are 



crowded together at places forming a series of ill-defined zones 



round the egg, generally the middle, but sometimes round the top. 



Wlien round the top the zones are always very dark and conspicuous. 



These zones are quite peculiar to the eggs of the present species, 



and by them they can be easily distinguished from the eggs of 



C. varius, which they resemble somewhat. 



The average measurements of a large series is. i- 18 inches X 

 •85 inches. 



C. Varius. — Kittlitz Plover. — This bird has always been of 

 great interest to me, chiefly on account of its interesting breeding 

 habits, which are so different to the other two species. The 

 .sitting bird, when disturbed, invariably covers its eggs with the 

 loose material lying round the nest before leaving them. The 

 first nests I ever found were all in loose sandy soil, and for a long 



