ROSTRATULA CAPENSIS 129 



In some eggs the superior markings are paler in colour than 

 usual, and now and then one comes across a clutch in which all the 

 markings are a light sienna-brown. 



In all eggs normally marked, the markings are most numerous 

 towards the larger end, often forming there an irregular cap, some- 

 times a broad, irregular zone. 



I have one clutch of eggs in which the markings consist mainly of 

 twisted lines, long and short, with but few blotches or spots. In this 

 the ground colour is the usual yellow, but an even more abnormal 

 clutch has the ground colour a pink, almost purplish stone-colour 

 with the usual markings of vandyke-brown. This is a very beautiful 

 clutch, and I have never seen another at all like it. 



An exceptionally handsome clutch taken by Harington in 

 Burmah has the markings on the eggs confined almost entirely to 

 a deep band of black running round the centre of the egg and 

 covering more than half its surface. 



Moss King records taking a clutch with a greenish ground. 



In shape the eggs show some similarity to snipes' eggs, but are, 

 what one might call, of a modified character, the true peg-top egg 

 being quite exceptional and ordinary ovoid or elliptical eggs quite 

 common. Between these two extremes eggs may be found in every 

 shape, the slightly peg-top shape being the most common. 



The texture is hard and close, but not so fine as in the eggs of 

 Gallinacjo, and though there is generally a slight gloss, and sometimes 

 a good deal, they are on an average not nearly so glossy as the eggs of 

 that genus, nor do they retain their fine surface and colouration for 

 nearly so long a time. 



All my eggs come within the limits of size given by Hume, 

 1-29 to 1-49 inches in length, and from 089 to 1'05 in breadth, but 

 the 120 eggs which I have measured average 1'36 X 097 ( = 34'5 X 

 24-6 mm.) as against his 139 X 0-99. 



General Habits. — Naturally, though not migratory in the true 

 sense of the word, the Painted Snipe, being dependent on a water 

 supply, becomes locally migratory in those places in which the water 

 at one season completely dries up. Thus, Adam reported that in the 

 vicinity of the Sambhur lake, the birds were only seen during the 

 rains, but migrated elsewhere on the approach of the hot weather 

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