MERGCS ALBELLUS 313 



ugg to direct sunshine and examining the penumbra, or space between 

 full light and full shadow, with a magnifying glass — the sharp ' moun- 

 iainous ' structure of the Wigeon's egg was strongly contrasted with 

 the lower and more rounded character of the elevations in the 

 Smew s. . . . Further, I tried the sense of touch : scratching the 

 egg with the most sensitive of my finger-nails I could at once 

 perceive the greater roughness of the Wigeon's .... The ivory- 

 like texture of the Goosander's egg was a pretty parallel to the 

 character of the fSmew's." 



Afterwards, Wolley received from the priest Liljeblad the other 

 four eggs of the set, and with them the rest of the remains of the 

 duck Smew, the head of which had been sent to him with the 

 first three. 



The dimensions of these eggs he gives as from 'I'Oi to '205 inches 

 in length, and from l'4-2 to 152 in breadth. 



They are described by Wolley at great length, but briefly may be 

 said to have been broad ovals, one end very much smaller than the 

 other, yet decidedly obtuse. 



Seebohm and Harvie-Brown ol)tained the eggs from the peasants 

 in North-east Russia ; these were obtained frouj hollows in trees, 

 lined thickly with the usual pale-grey down. 



According to Gates, 



" Some of these eggs brought by Mr. Seebohm from Petchora 

 are now in the British Museum. They are nearly elliptical in shape, 

 very smooth and glossy. They are of a pale cream-colour, and 

 measure from 1'9 to 2'05 inches in length, and from 1'12 to 1'52 in 

 breadth. 



" The Smew generally breeds in the month of July, and lays 

 seven or eight eggs, which are placed in a hollow of a tree or in one 

 of the boxes hung up by the villagers for the use of the Golden-eye." 



Morris, in ' British Birds," says : — 



" The nest of the Smew is made of dry grass, and lined with the 



down of the bird itself. It is placed on the ground upon the banks 



of lakes and rivers, not far from the water, or in the hollow of a tree. 



" The eggs are said to be eight or ten, or from that to fourteen 



in number, and of a yellowish-white colour." 



The egg, as shown by him in a plate, is a bright deep buff. One 

 egg of this species in my collection 1 owe, as I do many of my rarer 

 ducks' eggs, to the generosity of Herr Kuschel. 



In general description my egg agrees very well with those 



