1874.] OF LITTLE-KNOWN LIMICOL^E. 459 



p. 300). The eggs of this and the last-named species have the 

 ground-colour much greener than is usual with the VanellincB. 



CEdicnemus grallarius (Lath.). 



The egg of this fine Thick-knee, from Western Australia, wa3 pre- 

 sented to me by Mr. Gould. Although specimens vary in colour as 

 well as in markings, they are usually of a pale buff, thickly blotched 

 over with umber-brown. They are always two in number, and are 

 laid on the bare ground, during September and October. 



-ZEgialitis ruficapillus, Gould. (Plate LX. fig. 8.) 



The egg here figured is one of four taken on Rotnest Island, 

 Western Australia. It is to be regretted that the collector who 

 took the trouble to identify them did not also forward with them 

 some details of the haunts and breeding-habits of the parent birds, 

 with an account of the time and manner of nesting. There is no 

 reason, however, to suppose that it differs much in this respect from 

 others of the Ringed-Plover group ; and it doubtless approximates 

 more nearly to our Kentish Plover than to any other. 



jEgialitis nigrifrons (Cuvier). (Plate LX. fig. 9.) 



The egg of this pretty little Ringed Plover will probably be new to 

 many. It was taken with others by Mr. Wilson on the river Namoi, 

 New South Wales, towards the end of December. 



HlMANTOPUS LEUCOCEPHALXJS, Gould. 



I am indebted to Mr. J. A. Harvie Brown for the eggs of this and 

 the two following species. They were taken for him in Canterbury 

 Settlement, N. Z.,by his friend Mr. J. R. Cook, of Blue-Cliffs Run, 

 in that settlement, and most kindly forwarded to me. The eggs of 

 this Stilt are scarcely distinguishable from those of the European 

 species. 



Himantopus nov^e-zealandle, Gould. (Plate LX. fig. 10.) 



The egg here figured is one from a nest of four, taken by Mr. J. 

 R. Cook on the shingle of the Otaio river-bed, on the 14th October, 

 1872, on which day he took three nests, each containing four eggs. 

 He reports that they were easy to find, as the birds were bold and 

 noisy. The nest was composed of drift-weed, and fairly well built. 

 Mr. Cook says the local name of the bird is " Poaka," a name not 

 mentioned by Mr. Buller (Birds of New Zealand, p. 205), who 

 gives ** Kaki " as the New-Zealand name. But doubtless different 

 names are applied to the same bird in different parts of the country. 

 The markings on these eggs have a tendency to run in streaks, instead 

 of being in spots or blotches, as is the case with other species of the 

 genus. 



Anarhynchus frontalis (Quoy & Gaim.). (Plate LX. fig. 11.) 



This last egg, for which I am indebted to Mr. J. A. Harvie 

 Brown, is perhaps the most interesting of the whole series. Since 



30* 



