406 TRANSACTIONS OF SECTION D. 



the leather repeatedly. When I shook her off she followed me across the yard, 

 and on presenting my gloved hand she dashed at it, at the same time dropping 

 her wings like a curtain, as though she were shielding her favourite mouse. 

 Many other tricks which I have frequently found her indulging in were par- 

 ticularly well performed that morning. I was therefore exceedingly pleased 

 that after my absence from home for the greater part of the preceding week I 

 returned to find her so well and lively. However, in the afternoon a remarkable 

 change came over her. She retired to a corner, and, assuming an almost horizontal 

 position, so that her head, back, and tail were almost parallel with the ground, 

 she became so apathetic that I suspected poisoning from some of the food (a 

 young rat caught in a trap) of which she had lately partaken. Unable to rouse 

 her, I carried her into my study, where she again crept into a corner and 

 behaved similarly. She remained in this condition until 6.30 p.m., at which 

 time I left her alone. On my return at 10.30 r.M. she still appeared to be in 

 the same condition. I tried to rouse her by pretending to attack her with 

 my hand and by splashing her with cold water, but it was of no avail. I then 

 left her in the corner while I wrote some letters. She now began to utter 

 a few faint squeaks at intervals. At 11.45 p.m. she gave a rather painful cry. 

 and on going over to see what was the matter I found she had laid an egg. 

 Almost immediately she began to get lively, and so I had to exercise care lest 

 she might perhaps break the egg. Fortunately I succeeded in getting posses- 

 sion of the egg safely. Remarkable as this case of ovulation may be, the egg 

 itself is none the less remarkable. Although the usual brownish-red egg (so 

 profusely pigmented that no trace of white is visible) may sometimes be repre- 

 sented by one richly mottled on a yellowish-white or pinkish ground-colour, I 

 may say I have never before seen a kestrel's egg such as the one my bird laid. 

 This egg is milky-white in colour, almost unspotted except at its larger end. 

 This part is spotted and blotched with rich purplish-brown intermixed with light 

 greyish-purple, the whole pigmentation forming a broken zonular band. The egg 

 might be compared to an enlarged model of a greenfinch's egg in which the 

 ground-colour has lost. its faint greenish hue. The texture of the shell is fine 

 and thin, but sufficiently strong to allow of the contents being extruded by 

 means of the blow-pipe. The egg is lees rounded at the smaller end than 

 usual, and resembles in shape an ordinary domestic fowl's egg. In size it is 

 perfectly normal, viz., length, 3'9 cm. ; breadth, 3 cm. ; the average measurements 

 given for the kestrel's egg by Saunders being, length, 4 cm. ; breadth, 3 - l cm. 

 That is to say, my kestrel's egg is 1 mm. less than the normal in length and 

 in breadth. It seems impossible to offer an explanation for this strange case of 

 ovulation. But I may perhaps be allowed to refer to one point in connection with 

 the bird's diet ju6t before it laid the egg. During my absence from home, which 

 lasted four days, the bird was supplied with sufficient food for that time, but it 

 was all given on the first day. When I returned the greater part was untouched, 

 the reason being that the warm weather had affected the food sufficiently to 

 render it adverse to the bird's palate. Hence the hawk fasted for three days. 

 On my return I gave her a plentiful supply of fresh ox spleen and liver, with 

 which she gorged herself, and this highly nutritious hearty meal, coming after a 

 fast and in a warm change of weather, may have toned her to such a physio- 

 logical state that her ovaries became sufficiently active to induce, ovulation. 

 Such an explanation is vague and theoretical, and I give it only for what it is 

 worth. [The coloured photograph exhibited was taken before the egg was blown, 

 in order to secure the best results before slight fading of the pigment subsequent 

 to blowing ensued.] 



3. Fairy Flies. By F. Enoch. 



