104 MR. H. E. DRESSER ON EUROPEAN BIRDS' EGGS. [Feb. 7, 



towards the large end, with a sort of burnt-umber brown, which in 

 some spots is almost black, and in others excessively diluted and 

 pale. The eggs have scarcely any gloss. They vary from "68 to 

 *7 inch in length, aud from *54 to - 55 in breadth. They were pro- 

 cured on the 24th May, 18/0. Of course, after all, these eggs may 

 not be genuine ; but there are prima facie strong grounds for believ- 

 ing them to be so.' 



" From the above it will be seen that the eggs brought to Mr. Hume 

 were spotted, and are therefore, I should say, not genuine. 



" The eggs which I now exhibit are, as will be seen, pure white, 

 unspotted, and rather glossy. In size they measure if- inch in length, 

 by -77 9 y in width, and are almost pear-shaped, falling to a blunt point 

 at the smaller end. 



" These eggs were collected in Darasim, Dauria, by Dr. Dybowsky, 

 and sent along with the birds, which were marked Phyllopneuste co- 

 ronata ; but on comparing them with specimens of Reguloides super- 

 ciliosus from Siberia and India, I find them to belong to the latter 

 species. I beg leave to offer for comparison one of the skins sent 

 by Dr. Dybowsky and a specimen of R. superciliosus received from 

 Mr. Brooks of Etawah, North-western India. 



"TuRDUS FUSCATUS. 



" These four eggs form a complete sitting, and were also collected 

 by Dr. Dybowsky at Darasim in Dauria, together with several 

 others which I also have in my possession, but which do not differ 

 materially from these. I do not know of any collection in Eng- 

 land in which the eggs of this Thrush are to be found ; and as it 

 is an occasional straggler to Europe, I believe that collectors here 

 present may be interested in examining these. As will be seen, they 

 are in appearance not unlike some varieties of the eggs of the common 

 Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris), but are rather smaller in size, increasing 

 from i$- to 1 -Jjj inch in length, by from |$ to -|i in width, the ground- 

 colour being bright blue, and the spots with which they are covered 

 dark red. 



" RuTICILLA AUROREA. 



" One single specimen of the egg, together with about a dozen skins, 

 of this bird were sent over by Dr. Dybowsky from Dauria. This 

 specimen, which I now produce, measures f^ inch in length, by f-i 

 in width, and in colour is very pale blue, miuutely covered with pale 

 red markings, which are collected round the larger end, forming an 

 irregular zone. 



" MOTACILLA CITREOLA. 



"Amongst the eggs and skins sent over by Dr. Dybowsky from 

 Darasim were several of this bird ; and I have the pleasure of exhi- 

 biting six (a complete sitting) of the eggs. In size and colour they 

 resemble the eggs of the Grey Wagtail (Motacilla boaruld) so much 

 that they can scarcely be distinguished from some eggs of this latter 

 bird." 



