Voi.^xiii.1 Campbell, .4 Commonwealth Collection. 73 



Scottish expedition to the far South. It would be interesting to 

 know why eggs of some of the Albatrosses and of the Storm- 

 Petrels are freckled on their larger ends. 



Fine, clean, and complete clutches represent the Duck family 

 (Anatince), all more or less greasy to the touch — a wise provision 

 of nature to protect the contained embryo from the dampness of 

 their usual surroundings — not that all Ducks breed upon the 

 ground, or in swamps: manys eek high and dry places in hollow 

 trees, as the abundant data of the Belltrees collection prove. 

 Of the two Whistling-Ducks, Dendrocygna arcuata lays the larger 

 eggs (nine or ten to a set). The splendid Rajah Shieldrake 

 {Tadorna rufitergiim) has a maximum of eleven eggs, while the 

 little Grey Teal {Nettuim gibherifrons) lays occasionally as many 

 as thirteen! The two "spiny-tailed" species {Erismaturince) — 

 the Musk-Duck (Biziura lobata) and the rarer Blue-billed Duck 

 {Erismatura australis) — -lay smaller clutches, but comparatively 

 larger eggs, which are somewhat coarse-grained and greenish in 

 tone. The number ranges from two to live. A fine full set of the 

 Blue-billed species is from the Lower Murray (S.A.), collected by 

 Captain and Mrs. White. 



Among the largest and most handsome of the eggs of the world 

 are those of the Cassowary {Casuarius australis). For \\e?>i^ in situ 

 see Emu, vol. xii., pis. xxi. and xxii. Light green in colour, in 

 splendid sets, showing much variation, these eggs make out- 

 standing features of the already great collection, while last, but 

 not least (because now first in the approved classification) are 

 the dark greens of the Emus {Dromaivs novce-hollandia;), one 

 champion clutch having fourteen eggs ! With tenderest care 

 we are is permitted to handle an authenticated egg of the defunct 

 Tasmanian Emu {D. diemeneiisis) — probably the rarest item 

 of the whole collection. 



CONCLUSION. 



To give an adequate idea of the completeness of this national 

 oological collection at Belltrees — of which the foregoing observa- 

 tions are merely a sketch — it may be stated that, according to the 

 " Official Check-list of the Birds of Australia," there are enumerated 

 between 800 and qoo species and sub-species, not including those 

 of the " Provisional List." Of that number, Mr. White lacks 

 about 8 per cent, only, or some 70 kinds. This is a great achieve- 

 ment, and at the present rate of progress the end — i.e., eggs for 

 every known species — is in sight. In my article " Another 

 Decade in Australian Oology " (Emu, vol. iii., pp. 168-171, 1903), 

 I ventured the opinion that eggs of all our known birds would be 

 collected in the succeeding decade. That is practically so 

 Excepting the Petrels in their out-of-the-way homes, and the 

 far northern migrants, the chief and more strictly Australian 

 desiderata are Leucotreron alligator, Notophoyx flavirostris, Cyclop- 

 sitta coxeni, Geopsittacus occidentalis, Chalcococcyx russata, 

 Atrichornis clamosa, Falcuncidus ivhitii, Ashbyia lovensis, Malurus 

 whitii, Amytornis woodwardi, Amytornis goyderi, Zosterops 



