58 Mr. E. C. Stuart Baker on the [Ibis, 



markings stand well out, whilst the larger smudges and 

 smears blend more or less at their edges with the surround- 

 ing colour. 



Yet a third tj^pe of egg is more clouded than definitely 

 blotched or spotted with colour. The primary marks con- 

 sist of clouds and indefinite blotches of light earth-brown 

 scattered sparsely over the whole surface of the egg, whilst 

 underlying these, but far more numerous, are similar, 

 though somewhat smaller, markings of faint neutral tint 

 and greyish purple (Plate II. fig. 1) . 



An extraordinary egg given to me by Mr. Stewart 

 (Plate II. fig. 3) was taken with the egg depicted in 

 Plate II. fig. 4, and though both belong to the same clutch 

 they contrast as strongly as any two eggs I have seen. 



The whole ground-colour is a dull reddish ochre with a 

 few pale reddish-brown markings scattered here and there 

 over its surface, and with more numerous, but still fainter 

 mottlings and clouds of neutral tint which coalesce and 

 form a cap at the larger extremity. Single eggs very 

 similar to this have been taken by Mr. Stewart. 



The above four may be said to form the standard types of 

 this egg, but a few may be obtained which are more or less 

 intermediate, though generally inclining distinctly to one or 

 the other of the four. 



Most eggs are in shape very broad ovals, but little 

 compressed towards the smaller end ; in some, indeed, 

 the difference between the two ends is almost negligible. 

 In a few eggs the shape is a rather long oval, and in 

 one or two the smaller end is well diff'erentiated from the 

 larger. 



The texture is coarse and not very close, but the surface 

 varies considerably ; in some it is dull and almost rough to 

 the touch, whilst in others it is comparatively smooth and 

 exhibits a very faint gloss when fresh. 



In length the eggs vary between 65*0 and 58"6 mm., 

 and in breadth between 51*2 and 48*4 mm., whilst one 

 abnormally small egg measures only 55*0 X430 mm. Tliis 

 egg is a second one, laid after the first had been robbed. 



