23 



Of the eleven sets of eggs, one is of seven, four are of six 

 each, four of live, one of four, and one incomplete set of three 

 eggs which was the deserted set. These and a set of four 

 eggs, collected in Missouri, comprise my series — sixty-two eggs 

 in all. The coloration is uniformly clear white, with little or 

 no gloss, throughout the entire series ; but in shape and size 

 there is great variation. Thirty-five of the eggs are elliptical 

 ovate, which was observed to be the prevailing type of those 

 undisturbed, nineteen are ovate and three are elongate ovate, 

 but throughout most of the sets, there is a tendency to ir- 

 regularity in contour. 



The average size of the sixty-two eggs is .96X.68 inch, but 

 only one egg in the entire group exhibits the measurements 

 in both diameters ; — a common size is .99X.68 inch. The largest 

 specimen measures i.o8x.68 inch, but this is one of the elong- 

 ate eggs and several exceed it in short diameter, three being 

 .72 inch. The smallest egg belongs to a set of four and mea- 

 sures .88X.62 inch, but the average size of this set is .9IX.63 

 inch. The average size of the set containing the largest egg is 

 1.02X.70 inch. 



Grouping the sets, according to the number of eggs, I find 

 the greatest set average in the set of three, and the smallest in 

 the set of seven eggs, which would seem to indicate that the 

 larger the number of eggs in a set the smaller the size. But 

 by comparing the intermediate sets I find the exact reverse is 

 true, although the variation is only slight. By reference to the 

 following table, this peculiarity will be seen : 



Average size of set of 7 eggs, .92X.68 inch. 7 eggs. 

 Average size of sets of 6 eggs, .98X.68 inch. 24 eggs. 

 Average size of sets of 5 eggs, .96X.67 inch. 20 eggs. 

 Average size of sets of 4 eggs, .96X.66 inch. 8 eggs. 

 Average size of set of 3 eggs, 1.02X.70 inch. 3 eggs. 



The shell texture also exhibits some variations, running 

 from smotth close grained to a barely granulated surface. 



In fresh eggs the yolks were of a pale yellow or lemon color, 

 and easily broke in escaping the blow-hole. 



