142 



COLYMBIDJE. 



Colymbus glacialis, Linn. 



Colymbus glacialis, Thien. Fortpftanz. ges. Tog. tab. vie. fiX 3 a -c 

 (1845-54) ; Baedeker, Eier Eur. Vog. tab. 58. fig. 1 (1855-63) ; 

 Ifewitson, Eggs of Brit. Birds, ii. p. 449, pi. cxxii. (1856) ; Dresser, 

 Birds Eur. viii. p. 609 (1880) ; Seebohm, Brit. Birds, iii. p 402, 

 pi. 35 (1885) ; id. Eggs of Brit. Birds, p. 77, pi. 21. fig. 3 (1896) 

 Grant, Cat. Birds B. M. xxvi. p. 496 (1898) ; Sharpe, Hand-l i 

 p. 116 (1899). 



Urinator immer, Baird, Brewer fy Ridgtv. Water Birds N. Am. ii p. 446 

 (1884). 



Urinator imber, MacFarlane, Proc. U.S.Nat. Mus. xiv. p. 416 (1891). 



The eggs of the Great Northern Diver measure from 3-4 to 3-8 in 

 length, and from 2'1 to 2'4 in breadth. 



2. Fort Anderson River, 25th June (R. Salvin-Godman Coll. 



R. MacFarlane : Henshaw Coll.}. 



I- Illinois. Seebohm Coll. 



1 . River St. Croix, New Brunswick Seebohm Coll 



(H. E. Dresser). 



2. Nova Scotia. N. V. Squairey. Esq. FP.1. 



1. Greenland, 10th July (R. Midler}. Seebohm Coll. 



2. Greenland, 16th July (R. M.}. Seebohm Coll. 

 2. Greenland, 18th July (R. M.). Seebohm Coll 

 4. Iceland (W. Proctor). Seebohm Coll. 



Order S PH EN I SCI FORMES. 



The eggs of the Penguins are alike in colour and texture, and 

 differ only with respect to size and shape. 



The shell is coarse and rough, and frequently covered, wholly or in 

 part, with a thin coat of calcareous matter. As incubation proceeds, 

 many examples become quite smooth and also highly glossy. 



The eggs of these birds are unspotted white, but, when freshly 

 laid, they possess a distinct tinge of pale blue, and with incubation 

 they often turn yellow. 



In shape, they vary greatly. Those of many species are sphe- 

 roidal. Others are of a broad oval form and, in one species at least, 

 they are decidedly pyriform. 



A remarkable fact concerning the Penguins is that birds ap- 

 parently of the first year lay very small eggs and birds of the second 

 year somewhat larger ones. It is only in the third year, or perhaps 

 even later, that they lay full-sized eggs. 





