1867.] PROF. NEWTON ON NEW BIRDS' EGGS. ] IJ7 



amples are professedly figured by Thienemann in his great work 

 (Fortpfl. der gesanim. Yog. tab. Ixxxvii. fig. 1 «-c). These do not 

 resemble the eggs in my jjossession very much ; and of course, in the 

 incomplete state of that work, we have no information concerning 

 them. Badeker does not seem to have known the egg. 



American Wigeon. 



Mareca americana (Gmelin). 



Two eggs of this bird were sent to me in 18G3 from the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. They were obtained at Fort Yukon, in June 

 1861, by the late Mr. R. Kennicott, whose recent death in Russian 

 America is so much to be regretted. They are marked " parent 

 shot," and are somewhat smaller and of a good deal deeper colour 

 than eggs of Mareca jieneloiie ordinarily or ])erhaps ever are. The 

 two specimens vary somewhat in dimensions and form, one measuring 

 2*08 inches by 1"44 inch, the other 2*18 inches by 1"41 inch. 



American Scaup. 



Fulix affinis (Eyton). 



I am indebted to the Smithsonian Institution for seven examples 

 of this bird's eggs : — three, from which the parent was shot, ob- 

 tained by Mr. Kennicott at Fort Yukon, 24th June, 1861 ; and four 

 out of a nest of nine eggs obtained 26th June, 1863, and sent with 

 the parent by Mr. J. Lockhart. As might be expected, except in 

 size, they greatly resemble the eggs o? Fulix mur'da. Tlie largest of 

 the series, from Mr. Kennicott's nest, measures 2*29 inches by 1-63 

 inch; the smallest, from Mr. Lockhart's nest, is 2*2 inches by 1-52 

 inch. 



Surf-Scoter. 



(Edemia pers2ncillafa (Linnaeus). 



For this rare egg I am indebted again to the liberality of the Se- 

 cretary of the Smithsonian Institution. It is marked as being from 

 the collection of Mr. Macfarlane, taken 26th June, 1863, on the 

 Arctic coast, east of Anderson River, and "parent shot." No more 

 particulars. The specimen measm-es 2-32 inches by 1 '5.5 inch, which 

 is much smaller than any example of (E. nigra that I have seen, and 

 is less warmly coloured than the eggs of that species. Badeker pro- 

 fesses to figure two specimens of this bird's egg (Eier Europ. Vog. 

 taf. Ixi. fig. 9); but, as usual, he does not account for their being in 

 his possession, and it must, I think, be regarded as doubtful whether 

 the originals were authentic. 



Hooded Merganser. 



Mergns ciicuUatus, Linnseus. 



The next egg I have to mention is the result of an interesting 

 discovery made on the River St. Croix in New Brunswick, by Mr, 



