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cylindrical, and one or two are almost spherical; the normal type, 
however, appears to be a somewhat broad oval, slightly com- 
pressed or pointed towards one end. As a body, they are more 
oval and less round than those of Calvus, while they are rounder 
and less oval than those of Indicus. As above remarked, the ma- 
jority, though often much soiled and discoloured, as incubation 
proceeds, are ofthe usual pale greyish or greenish white colour, and 
unspotted ; but a certain number, perhaps about 1 in 5, are more 
or less speckled, spotted and blotched, always chiefly towards 
one end, with pale reddish brown. One egg only, out of more 
than a hundred that I have, is richly and extensively blotched 
and clouded, in fact almost capped at the large end with 
reddish and purplish brown. So discoloured do the eggs some- 
times become before they are hatched, that I have one egg, an 
addled one, staimed throughout an almost uniform earth-brown. 
The texture varies a good deal, but is generally moderately fine, 
a few exhibit a slight gloss, but mostly they are glossless. 
The shell is very thick and strong, and, like that of most 
other large bird’s eggs, (especially those of Cranesand game birds) 
often has pimply lumps and crease-like folds at the small end. 
The lining is a rich green. The eggs measure from 3°05 to 3°85 
inches in length, and from 2°25 to 2°8 in breadth, but of 68 eggs 
measured, 3°26 by 2°42 inches are the average dimensions. 
Though the birds are plentiful all over the N. W. P. Rajpoo- 
tana, and the major portion of the Punjab, they only affect par- 
ticular localities for breeding. Where large trees abound, and 
where either cattle are numerous, or a large village ensures a 
continual supply of offal, their nests will generally be found, 
but in treeless tracts, like much of the upper Punjab, where 
eattle are few, and population scant, although the birds (whose 
powers of flight are, like those of all their kindred, very great), 
may themselves often be seen, you may search many hundred 
square miles without meeting with a single nest. 
Mr. W. Theobald makes the following note of this bird’s 
breeding in the neighbourhood of Pind Dadan Khan and Katas 
in the Salt Range. ‘ Lay in the Ist and 2nd weeks of March, 
egos, one only, shape, ovate pyriform, size, 3°36 inches by 
2°62 inches; colour, dull white. Nest, of sticks and twigs; in 
large trees.” 
I give exact measurements taken from several birds and 
description of a fine male, which I shot on a nest on the 8th 
March, thus proving that the males participate in the labour 
of incubation. ‘The female in this case did not return for some 
hours and when she did, she was apparently so enraged, at 
