160 Letters, Extracts, and Notes. [Ibis, 



two remarkably fine erythristic eggs with very bright red 

 ground. 



Turnstone {Arenaria interpres). These exceptionally 

 beautiful eggs were well represented by exti-erae, modified 

 forms, and varieties. 



Oyster-catcher [Hcematopus ostralegus). A series showing 

 the scrolled or veined and heavily blotched forms ; also 

 type clutches^ one from the Faeroes and one from Kent. 

 See Ticehurst, ' History of the Birds of Kent,' p. 435. 



Corn-Bunting (Embeviza calandra). A clutch of four 

 from Suftblk, with creamy Avhite ground, and large con- 

 spicuous underlying markings showing through purplish 

 grey. 



British Song-Thrush (7". m. clarkei) X Blackbird ( T. merula). 

 A clutch of three eggs from a Blackbird paired with a Thrush, 

 taken at Bexley Heath, Kent, by Mr. William A. Carter. 

 Mr. Bunyard read the following communication from the 

 taker : — "These eggs I took in the hedge at the bottom of 

 my garden. I watched the whole process. A hen Blackbird 

 built the nest and covered the eggs, but I never saw the 

 cock Blackbird. On the other hand, a cock Thrush was 

 always in the neighbourhood ; the two birds were often 

 together, and the Thrush used to sing while the Blackbird 

 was covering the eggs. When I had assured myself that 

 she would only lay the three eggs — this was also in June 

 1912 — I took them ; she had covered the three for nearly 

 a week, but there was no sign of incubation and the con- 

 tents of the e^^ almost entirely consisted of albumen. 

 There were traces of yolk, but very slight, so I suppose 

 they would never have hatched.^^ 



Mr. Bunyard then made the following remarks : — " I 

 believe this to be the only really authenticated clutch 

 known, the eggs bear characteristics of both species, the 

 formation and the arrangements of the markings are those 

 of the Thrush, and the colour that of the Blackbird — these 

 are very distinctive in appearance.^' 



Cvic\Loo {Cuculus canorus). Seven eggs from Surrey all 

 from the same bird, all with eggs of the Whitethroat 



