BREEDING SEASONS OF CEYLON BIRDS, 36 



close to the hole by which they were blown, by a number and 

 a letter. The number denotes the species and the letter 

 corresponds to a lettered entry on the page of my loose leaf 

 catalogue allotted to that species. Thus, my eggs of the 

 Indian Tailor-bird {Orthotomus sutorius) are marked " 14." 

 Specimens marked A 14 were taken in June, 1907, in the 

 Medagama pattu. Province of Uva, and those marked, .C14 

 at Kendewa in the North- Central Provuice in May, 1911. 



Without such a record a collection of eggs loses most of its 

 scientific value , and if unmarked eggs once get mixed they are 

 soon confused past all sorting. I am afraid that this has been 

 the fate of a fine collection of eggs which used to belong to 

 ]VIr. Hine-Haycock, and which is now in the Museum. I 

 believe that there is no trustworthy record of where or when 

 many of the eggs were obtained. They were collected from 

 many sources, and some specimens labelled as belonging to 

 very rare species are in reality common varieties masquerading 

 as the eggs of more valuable birds. Furthermore, beyond all 

 doubt the labels have been transposed in many cases, and, as 

 there are no marks to identify the eggs, what would have been 

 an exceedingly interesting addition to the Museum collection, 

 has become, to a certain extent, a confused lot of Oological 

 specimens. 



