360 On the. General Characters of BircW-eggs. 



The series of illustrations begins with the purely white 

 eggs of the Snowy Owl, Virginian Colin, Grey Parrot, 

 Bee-eater, Roller, A¥oodpecker, Wryneck, White Stork and 

 Black Stork, and Swan. Then follow examples of various 

 uniformly-coloured eggs without spots or markings, viz. those 

 of the Wild Duck, Grey Francolin, Pheasant, Cetti's Warbler, 

 Pheasant-tailed Jacana, Nightingale, Redstart, Pied Fly- 

 catcher, Garrulax albogularis, Heron, and Glossy Ibis; 

 slightly-clouded, eggs, as that of the Little Bustard, passing 

 through the Black-tailed Godwit to the blotclied form repre- 

 sented by the Sparrow-Hawk, Razorbill, Sandwich Tern, 

 Red Grouse, and Ptarmigan. Next follow speckled eggs, as 

 those of the Red-legged Partridge, Jay, and Carrion Crow. 

 These pass into the truly spotted through the Hemipodes 

 and Pratincole. The spotted eggs, as those of the Black - 

 throated Diver, Redshank, Golden Oriole, Song-Thrush, and 

 Great Tit, gradually pass (through such forms as the Swift 

 Tern and Oyster-catcher) into those covered with distinct 

 linear markings, exemplified by Quiscalus major, Agelaus phm- 

 niceus, Parra indica, and one of the varieties of the Guillemot. 



Examples of exceptions to the general statement that the 

 eggs of birds which build in holes are mostly uncolourcd are 

 afforded by the Nuthatch, Tree-creeper, and Jackdaw. 



The signification of the various modes of coloration is very 

 little understood at present. It often happens that the 

 different species of a natural group of birds present a general 

 similarity in the style of coloration of their eggs, or, in other 

 words, that nearly allied birds have similar eggs ; but the 

 exceptions to this rule are very numerous. In certain cases 

 there is evidently an adaptation of the colour of the eggs to 

 their natural surroundings for the purpose of concealment. 

 Excellent examples of this may be seen in the groups illus- 

 trating the nesting-habits of British birds in the Bird 

 Gallery. 



To illustrate the similarity of eggs of a natural group of 

 birds, those of six species of Emberiza are placed on one 

 tablet, and those of six species of Hypolais upon another. 

 For dissimilarity of eggs in closely-allied species, the eggs 



