tgig.^ Letters, Extracts, and Azotes. 161 



(Sylvia communis^. Four of these were exhibited at the 

 Second Oological Dinner in 1916 (' Ibis,' 1917, p. 126) ; 

 two were taken in 1917, and one in 1916. For further 

 particulars of these remarkable eggs, wliich were all taken 

 by the exhibitor, see 'British Birds/ vol. xii. p, 92. 



Cuckoo (Cuculus canorus). Two eggs with those of the 

 Red-backed Shrike (Lanius collurio), taken by the exhibitor 

 this year in Surrey (see ' British Birds/ vol. xii. p. 115). 



Razorbill [Alca tarda). A very remarkable egg with a 

 broad richly-pigmented band of brownish black on a creamy- 

 white ground ; at its broadest part the band measures 

 33 mm. One showing a yellowish ground with a few 

 surface-markings of reddish brown, and large conspicuous 

 underlying markings showing through greyish black — a rare 

 variety. One with pinkish ground with veined markings 

 of rich brown ; the underlying markings are conspicuous 

 and also veined : a very beautiful egg. 



Common Guillemot ([/n« troille). One with distinctly 

 grey ground, surface-markings with black underlying marks 

 showing through various shades of grey ; one richly pig- 

 mented all over black-brown, with darker markings of the 

 same colour ; one with pale greenish-blue ground heavily 

 veined olive-brown. 



The Rev. F. C. R. Jourdain exhibited, in addition to the 

 series of Charadrius dubius and Tardus philomelus referred 

 to above, two sets of blue eggs of the Nightingale, Luscinia 

 megarhyncha. The first was taken in Kent by Colonel 

 Rattray in 1908 and were exhibited at the British Orni- 

 thologists' Club in 1916 ; while the second clutch of very 

 similar colouring, but smaller in size, was taken in Stafford- 

 shire during the past season. All four eggs in tiie latter set 

 proved infertile. 



Mr. Jourdain also exhibited on behalf of Dr. W. Eagle 

 Clarke a very large egg of the Guillemot, taken at Barra 

 Head in 1918, and measuring 98'8x58'0 mm. 



A very finely-marked Guillemot egg from the Treshnish 

 Isles, Inner Hebrides, taken by Mr. O. A. J. Lee, and one of 



SER. XI. VOL. 1. M 



