171 



in the British Museum has the markings at the big end so thickly con- 

 gregated as to appear almost black. Occasionally a clutch is met with 

 which has warm brown or yellowish brown markings, and Dr. Ottosson 

 has a set beautifully spotted with red on a pinkish white ground, taken 

 in N. Iceland in June 1879. 



In Iceland the breeding season is variable. H. H. Slater records Breeding 

 fledged young on June 11, an extraordinarily early date, when many 

 birds are only beginning to lay. In the extreme N. of Europe the usual 

 time is about the second or third week of June. In Central Europe 

 two broods are reared, and fresh eggs may be found from the end of 

 April to the beginning of July, while exceptionally eggs have been 

 found as late as the end of July and the beginning of October (Sachse), 

 and fledged young on September 7 (Rey). In Greece the first eggs are 

 laid about mid April. 



Average of 100 eggs (72 by Rey and 28 by the writer), Measure- 

 20.43x15.11 mm.. Max. 22.1x15 and 20x16.2, Min. 18x15 and ""'"*'• 

 21x14.4 mm. (Ban's average for 58 eggs is rather less, 19.54x14.61 mm.) 

 J. A. Sandman records eggs from Karlo, 22.9x14.6 and 20.5x14.1 mm., 

 and a dwarf egg in Rey's collection measures 14x11.1 mm,, weight 

 80 mg. The average weight is 136 mg. (Rey), 135 mg. (Bau). Average 

 weight of 6 full eggs from Sweden, 2.3 g. (R. H. Read). 



[Other geographical races which breed in the W. Palaearctic region 

 are M. alba dukhunensis Sykes, which is found in W. Siberia and the 

 N. Caucasus and M. alba subpersonata Meade -Waldo, resident in W. 

 Marocco.] 



[ MNIOTILTIDAE 



Black throated Green Warbler, Dendroica virens (Gm.). 

 PI. 23, fig. 15—17 (N. America). 



Eggs: Thienemann, Fortpfl., Tab XXII, flg. 3 (errore). 



Breeding Range: Eastern N. America, from Now England to Hudson's Bay. 

 Has occurred on Helgoland once. 



Usually built at the end of a branch of a pine tree, 30 to 50 ft. from the Nest. 

 ground, during the month of June. Materials: dry grasses and fibrous matter, lined 

 with hair and down. 



Generally 4, but sometimes 5 in number, more or less marked with blotches Eggs. 

 of brown and purple on a white ground. Measurements, 17X12-8 mm., weight 

 92 mg. (Rey). 



NECTARINIIDAE 



Of this family only one representative breeds in the W. Palaearctic region, the 

 Jericho Sun Bird, Cinnyiis osea Bp., which is common in the oases of the plain of 

 Jericho and also occurs in the lower Jordan valley. Tristram has described its 

 nesting habits and eggs in the Ibis, 1865, p. 75 — 6. ] 



