ON THE EGGS OF THE TREE-PIPIT. 337 



Shape. — Normal, a short conical oval, sometimes fully 

 rounded. Narrow pointed ovals occur less frequently. 



Shell. — Finely grained, glossy, sometimes dull, fairly thick 

 and strong for the size. 



Mottled Type (No. 2) — Purphsh-red, distinct. 



Ground colour. — White. The markings do not obhterate 

 the ground colour so much as in type No. 1. 



Markings. — In general appearance similar to the mottled 

 brick-red type (No. 1). The purplish tint is caused by the 

 presence of minute purplish-grey shell markings, which are 

 conspicuous, though the pigment markings are distinctly 

 purplish in tinge. Very little variation occurs in this type, 

 which is constant and well set, the fine hair-like scroUings 

 do not occur so frequently as in No. 1 (Dresser, pi. 4, 

 No. 14). 



Shape. — Similar to No. 1, but the full rounded shape is more 

 frequent. Narrow pointed ovals occur. 



Shell. — Similar in every respect to No. 1, except that there 

 is less gloss. 



Mottled Type (No. 3) — Sepia-brown, very distinct. 



Ground colour. — Greyish- white to white ; sometimes dis- 

 tinctly pale greenish blue. Compared with the two other 

 mottled types, the ground colour is conspicuous, except in the 

 extreme type in which the mottlings are so close as almost to 

 obliterate it. 



Markings. — Precisely the same in general arrangement as 

 in types Nos. 1 and 2. Normal — Mottled rich sepia-brown, shell 

 markings brownish-grey, very inconspicuous, })ut in some 

 cases sufficiently present to alter the general appearance to 

 a greyish purple-brown (Dresser, pi. 4, Nos. 17 and 18). 

 Extreme type — Appearance entirely altered by the running 

 together of the mottlings, which form dark patches of colour, 

 giving this type an intermediate appearance between the 

 normal of this and the brown spotted, or blotched, tj^e 

 No. 5. Modified type — Precisely the same in appearance, 

 but several shades paler in colour ; fine hair-like markings 

 occur, as in types 1 and 2. The normal of this type is 

 often confused with the egg of the Meadow-Pipit, and in 

 general appearance it somewhat resembles the egg of that 

 species, except in shape, size, and texture. The eggs of the 

 Meadow-Pipit, as a rule, do not show so much gloss. 



Shell. — Similar in every respect to type No. 1. 



Shape. — Goes through the same variation as tjrpe No. 1. 



