1871.] MR. H. E. DRESSER ON EUROPEAN BIRDS' EGGS. 103 



brought them here for inspection. They belong to the following 

 species, viz. : — 



Micronisus brevipes. 



Motacilla citreola. 



Turdus f meatus. 



Regidoides superciliosus. 



Ruticilla aurorea. 

 At the same time I beg leave to offer the following remarks respect- 

 ing them. 



" Micronisus brevipes. 



" It is not long ago that the eggs of this Sparrow-hawk were first 

 made known through Dr. Kriiper, who procured them near Smyrna. 

 The learned Doctor stated then that, as many of these Sparrow- 

 hawks appeared to pass onwards into Europe, he felt sure that the 

 species would be found to breed in Turkey or in Russia ; and such 

 proved to be the case, as Mr. W. Schluter of Halle subsequently 

 procured both birds and eggs from Mr. Hodek, who took them near 

 the Tiniok river, on the Servio-Bulgarian frontier, near Piconica in 

 Servia. These eggs and birds were exhibited by Mr. Schluter, who 

 also wrote an article respecting them in the ' Zoologischer Garten,' 

 p. 375 (1869). 



" Since then Dr. Kriiper, who has been collecting in Greece, has 

 brought back several sittings of the eggs of this bird collected by 

 him in that country, one of which, consisting of three eggs, I am 

 enabled to exhibit. These eggs were taken by Dr. Kriiper at Olym- 

 pus, on the 12th of June last (1870); but I regret to say that I 

 have not yet received from him any particulars as to the position 

 of the nest, &c. In size they measure 1^ by l-fa inch, aud in 

 appearance are not unlike the eggs of the Hen-Harrier (Cercus cya- 

 neus), but differ in having the pores deeper and further apart, and 

 also in being of a more intense green colour in the inside. 



" I have also the pleasure to exhibit two skins of this rare Hawk, 

 procured by Dr. Kriiper in Greece — the one adult, and the other 

 immature. 



" Reguloides superciliosus. 



" These eggs are of considerable interest, as the bird is an occasional 

 straggler to Europe, and has also been procured in England. The 

 Indian collectors, and Mr. A. O. Hume in particular, have long en- 

 deavoured in vain to procure them. I have also lately received a 

 letter from Mr. Brooks of Etawah, in which he says that he hopes 

 ere long to be in possession of genuine eggs of this rare bird ; and, 

 curiously enough, he appears to think that they may prove to be 

 (as is actually the case) pure white and unspotted. Mr. A. O. 

 Hume writes from Simla, under date of 24th June last {vide Ibis, 

 1870, p. 530), that the eggs of this bird were brought to him by a 

 native collector from Chimbla with the parent bird. He writes re- 

 specting them as follows : — ' The ground-colour is a very delicate 

 greenish white ; and they are thinly speckled and spotted, chiefly 



