INTRODUCTION. Xlll 



RATITJE. 



No. of species. No. of specimens. 



Rheiformes 2 16 



Struthioniformes 4 15 



Casuariiformes 7 32 



Dinornithiformes 1 4 



jEpyornithiformes 1 4 



Apterygiformes 1 2 



Tinamiformes 17 109 



GaUiformes 137 2310 



Hemipodii 14 262 



Pteroclidiformes 9 243 



Columbiformes 87 752 



Opisthocomiformes 1 7 



Ralliformes 54 1026 



Podicipedidiformes 15 313 



Colymbiformes 4 124 



Sphenisciformes 10 125 



Procellariiformes 48 445 



Alciformes 16 926 



Lariformes 92 5441 



520 12,156 



It appears, therefore, that the British Museum Collection contains 

 specimens of the eggs of about one-third of the total number of the 

 living or recently-extinct birds belonging to the above mentioned 

 Orders, as enumerated in the ' Hand-list.' 



With few exceptions, the eggs now illustrated have not been 

 figured before. It only remains to add that the measurements of 

 the specimens throughout this Catalogue are invariably in English 

 inches. 



The symbols employed in the present volume are the same as 

 those in the * Catalogue of Birds.' [P.] means * Presented by," 

 [C.] " Collected by," [E.] " Received in exchange." 



EUGENE W. OATES. 



February 20, 1901. 



