CURIOUSLY BLOTCHED EGGS. 175 



over with well-defined marks of black or brown ; 

 in other cases the ground is white, variegated with 

 markings of brown or black. Minor variations are 

 of constant occurrence, so that very few eggs are 

 exactly alike. 



The manner in which the secondary colour or 

 marking is laid upon the egg varies greatly, also ; 

 sometimes it is as irregular as it is possible to con- 

 ceive ; in other cases it is very regularly arranged, 

 sometimes in a broad ring of sprinkled spots at 

 the larger end, as in the beautiful eggs of the red- 

 backed shrike. The egg of the yellow bunting, 

 again, is as if some person ignorant of writing had 

 scratched it over with pen and ink, letting a drop 

 or two fall in addition. Sometimes the colours 

 seem to have been put on, and then half obliterated 

 by washing. The egg of the plover furnishes us 

 with an instance of well-marked distinct blotches. 

 A number of eggs are besprinkled over with the 

 secondary colour, so as to wear a distinct resem- 

 blance to the rind of an orange. These varieties 

 are attempted to be shown in the cut, but a 

 coloured illustration could alone convey the idea 

 distinctly. A large number of eggs are totally 

 devoid of colour, being of the most pure and beau- 



