Mr. G. R. Gray on the Genus Basilornis. 263 



Note on the Egg of the Piping Crow or Magpie of 

 New South Wales (Gymnorhina tibicen). By George 

 Bennett, M.D., F.Z.S. 



It is not uncommon for eggs of the same species of bird to vary 

 so much both in form and colour, as to cause doubts to arise in the 

 minds of ornithologists as to the possibility of their being produced 

 by the same species. This has been well exemplified in the case of 

 the Red-tailed Tropic Bird (^Phaeton phoenicnrus) more particularly, 

 as well as in others. On examining a number of eggs of the Piping 

 Crow (Gymnorhina tibicen), at Sydney, N. S. Whales, I was surprised 

 to observe in how many instances they differed, both with respect 

 to their form as well as in the markings of colour, so as to appear 

 to belong to distinct species, although those differing so much both 

 in form and colour were procured from the nest of the same bird. 



The eggs I had so recently an opportunity of carefully examining 

 were collected by two zealous young naturalists, Mr. Edward Ramsey 

 and Mr. Henry Norton. The former gentleman has sent me his 

 notes on the eggs of the Australian Magpie, from which I have col- 

 lected the following information. He states that " the Piping Crow 

 ((r. tibicen) lays eggs differing from one another in the same nest, 

 both in form and colour, — some being long and others round, and the 

 coloured spots varying very much! On August 25th, 1860," he 

 says, " the first Magpie's eggs were taken this season. I have six 

 varieties of the eggs of this bird ; and so much do they differ from 

 each other, that, had I not taken them from the nest, I could not 

 have believed they were the eggs of the same bird. All the young 

 birds I have taken from the nest have had the breast of a dull-brown 

 colour; and a young bird brought home from the nest in 1859 is 

 now ( 1860) changing the plumage of the breast from the dull-brown 

 colour to black." 



Note on the Genus Basilornis. 

 By G. R. Gray, F.L.S., etc. 



The genus Basilornis was established some years back by th< late 

 Prof. Temminck on a bird from Celebes. Since then Mr! "Wallace 

 has met with another species in his wanderings in Ceram. As there 

 exists some confusion with regard to these two species, I have thought 

 it right to address to the Society a few remarks on them, with a 

 view of pointing out their distinctive characters. They are easily 

 distinguished from one another by the form of their crests. That of 

 Celebes possesses a short, compressed, keel-like crest, which extends 

 from the culmen to behind the head, and is composed entirely of 

 scale-like and convex feathers ; whilst that of Ceram has an occipital, 

 erect and elongated crest, which, when viewed sideways, assumes 

 somewhat of a subtriangular form, and is composed of truncated, 

 rather broad and lax plumes. It also differs in having the nostrils 

 exposed and a naked space round each eye. In the species of Celebes 

 the nostrils are covered by the frontal plumes, and there is scarcely 

 any naked r.pace round the eyes. 



