2 5 

 short elliptical ovate, or nearly equally ended, and in this respect 

 is a connecting link between the elliptical ovate and the true 

 oval, of which there is only one specimen ; three, however, are 

 very nearly oval. 



Eighty-one eggs, — all normal in size, — which I have meas- 

 ured, show an average of .64X.50 inch, three of the eggs ex- 

 hibiting these measurements. 



Sets of 3 eggs average .64x49 inch. — 12 eggs. 

 Sets of 4 eggs average .66X.51 inch. — 36 eggs. 

 Sets of 5 eggs average .64X.50 inch. — 25 eggs. 

 Set of 6 eggs average .61x48 inch. — 6 eggs. 



Almost one-half the nests contained four eggs and these 

 showed the greatest average. Among these sets are also to 

 be found the largest specimens, two in one set measuring 

 .70X.52 inch, and singularly enough, the smallest specimen 

 belongs to a set of four eggs, measuring .57x47 inch. By a 

 study of these measurements it will be seen that there is a much 

 greater variation in the long than in the short diameters. 

 The sets of five eggs have an average measurement of .64X.50 

 inch, which is the same as the whole average. The set of 

 six shows small sized eggs and in this set there was little 

 variation in size, ranging from .59 to .62 inch by 48 to .49 

 inch. 



The shell is very thin, smooth, close-grained and with 

 very little gloss. 



As previously stated, the egg, found resting between two 

 blades of grass outside the nest taken May 26, 1891, had 

 soft places in the shell where it came in contact with the grass. 

 After preparing this egg for the cabinet these flexible spots 

 burst and curled inward, indicating that the action of the grass 

 and dew had sapped the shell strength away, leaving only the 

 lining in the middle of the spots. 



The color of the shell would be considered white unless a 

 close examination be made, whereupon it would take much 



