36 



eggs, sterile; pale stone or more nearly soild white — almost im- 

 maciilate— markings of faint grayish brown, chiefly on larger 

 end. These eggs are of a peculiar ovate pyr if orm shape, with long 

 drawn out small ends and compressed in the middle, and on the 

 whole, suggest necked gourds; .90x.59, .99x.61 and .96X.51 incb. 



106. Lanius ludovicianus. California Shrike.— May 

 13, 1892. Collected by Ralph Arnold, San Fernando, California. 

 Two small spherically -shaped runts; olive buff, almost completely 

 covered with a mottling of raw sienna, broccoli brown and laven- 

 der gray; .58s.. 50 and .50X..39 inch. 



107. Dendroica sestiva. Yellow Warbler.— June 26, 

 1884. Collected by Lynds Jones, Jasper Co., Iowa. Four runts. 

 When studied in connection with a large series of eggs ol this 

 species, showing considerable variation, this set is surprisingly 

 different, being scarcely more than lialf the average size. Not- 

 withstanding this fact, incubation had started, but from some 

 unknown cause, the nest was deserted ai d the eggs were be- 

 coming addled. Their color is a dull white or leaden hue — re- 

 sembling in this respect one normal s-et in the series. The 

 markings throughout are minute dots of slate, russet and laven- 

 der-gray (latter predominating), seated chiefly on larger ends 

 of three, and on the smaller end of the fourth; .56X.A1, .5&S..41, 

 .59X.S9 and .6&X..89 inch. Two are elliptical ovate, one cylindri- 

 cal ovate and one ovate oblong. 



108. Setophaga ruticilla. American Redstart.— May 

 26, 1895. Collected by Ernest Marceau, East Dubuque, Illinois. 

 Four small eggs, advanced incubation. An indiacribable sliort 

 fusiform shape, departing from trueness in many ways, a notice- 

 ble feature being their st ra ngrly kinked ends, twisting in opposite 

 directions. Creamy white, all marked with blotches of helio- 

 trope-purple and raw sienna (iormer predominating), seated 

 chiefly on one side of the shell — on hvo being ivholly so. Markings 

 are comparatively few in number; .60x.48, .Mix.aJ, ,59x.52 and 

 .61X.51 inch. 



109. Merula migratoria. American Robin. (Plate IV, 

 No. 109).- June 1, 1893. Collected by Mark L. C. Wilde, Cspe 

 Slay county, N. J. Four fresh eggs; in size, shape and color, 

 thrte are normal and one is a runt, spherical in appearance, and 

 of deep greenish- blue color, resembling the line seen in tlie eggs of 

 the Catbird (G. earolinensis) , 1.05x.78, 1.08x.78, 1 07x.78 and 

 .64X..55 inches. 



o- 



VIII.— Abnormal Shell Texture. 



110. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat.— May 24, 

 1897. Collected by J. Warren Jacobs, near Waynesburg, Pa. 

 Four slightly incubated eggs, having a thin frail shell, covered 

 with a superfluous deposit of same material distributed in large 

 xvartii patches and sharp granulations, and being of sufficient 

 quantity throughout the entire set to form two nearly perfect 

 shells of this species. However, when we take into considera- 

 tion the frail, imperfect structure of the shell proper, it seems 

 reasonable to suppose that all this extra material might have 

 been used in perfecting its formation. Elliptical ovate; white, 

 marked with heliotrope-purple, lavender and claret brown of 

 equal predominance, and seated chiefly on the larger end, where 

 on one they run together in form of a wreath; .92x.69, .94x.69, 

 .92x.69 and .94x.69 inch. 



