168 DR. J. J. KAUP ON NISI AND ABTURES. [Jan. 24, 



G. A.JBoardman; and I owe the possession of three specimens of it 

 to the UberaUty of my friend Mr. H. E. Dresser, a Fellow of this 

 Society, who has likewise kindly permitted me to bring it before you 

 on this occasion, furnishing me with several extracts from letters 

 written to him by Mr. Boardman. These are to the effect that a 

 nest of this bird, consisting of " about a pailful of down," was found 

 in 1864 in a hollow tree. It contained six eggs. The old bird was 

 caught upon it, and, being thus frightened, did not return to the 

 eggs, which were accordingly taken on the 20th of May ; but unluckily 

 the man in descending the tree broke four of them. The following 

 year (1865) a nest, believed to be that of the same hen bird, was 

 found and the eggs taken 15th of June. Three of these are now in 

 my possession. They are of a very pure white colour, spheroidal in 

 shape, and but for the grain, which is decidedly that of a Duck's 

 egg, at first sight look a good deal like Owls'. The shell is remark- 

 ably smooth and strong, heavy and hard, the last peculiarity having 

 been particularly noticed by Mr. Boardman when drilling the speci- 

 mens. The long diameters of the three in my possession are respec- 

 tively 2*08, 2" 11, and 2-06 inches ; the short diameter of all is the 

 same, 1*72 inch. Mr. Dresser informs me that an egg of the first 

 nest (upon which the bird was caught) precisely resembles these. 



It has been stated that on Prof. Agassiz's expedition to Lake Su- 

 perior a nest of 31erffus cacullatus was found containing several 

 eggs, three, at least, of which have been sent by Dr. Brewer to this 

 country. One of them was received by Dr. Frere, and at the dis- 

 persal of his collection it came into my possession. This egg differs 

 so entirely from the well-identified specimens obtained by Mr. Board- 

 man that I cannot believe they belong to the same species. 



EXPLAJf ATION OF PLATE XV. 



Fig. 1. Egg of Grey Phalaropo, p. 165. 



2. „ Nutcracker, p. 102. 



3. „ American Stint, p. 1G5. 



4. ,, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, p. Ki."). 



5. „ Yellow-shanks Sandpiper, p. 165. 



6. „ Tooth-billed Pigeon, p. 164. 



7. „ Hoazin, p. 164. 



10. On the Nisi and Astures of the Indian Archipelago and of 

 New Holland. By Dr. J. J. Kaup, C.M.Z.S., Director 

 of the Grand-Ducal Museum, Darmstadt^. 



Director Schlegel, in his meritorious work, ' Die Valkvogels van 

 Nederl. Indie,' 1866, has enumerated thirteen species of these 

 groups. Of these I possess eleven in all stages of plumage, for 



* Communicated by Dr. J. Murie, and translated under his superintendence 

 from the German MS. 



