166 NOTES ON THE NIDIFICATION 



paddy fields is a favorite locality. The bird sits very closely 

 and. the nest is not easy to discover. The male bird sits on the 

 eggs, at least at times, and I killed one with a stick while he was 

 sitting on seven eggs. 



Seven is the full number of eggs, occasionally six only. In 

 length they vary from 1*43 to 1*18, and in breadth from T08 

 to *96, but the average of 31 eggs is 1*34 by l'OO- some are 

 almost glossless, others are considerably glossy. The ground 

 color is pinkish stone, pale when fresh and darkening as incu- 

 bation proceeds. The shell markings consist of blotches aud 

 splashes of pale purple evenly but sparingly distributed over 

 the egg, and the surface marks consist of large blotches and 

 streaks of rather bright rusty brown. These marks are larger 

 at the thick end than elsewhere and run chiefly in the direc- 

 tion of the longer axis of the e^^. In some eggs the marks 

 form a distinct cap, and the shell marks are very few. All the 

 eggs are exceedingly beautiful. 



[When •' Nests and Eggs" were published I had not seen the 

 eggs of the true striatus. The only eggs I had were of 



OCT •/*-*•«***• 



the Andamanese obscuriora. In 1875 Mr. Cripps sent me three 

 specimens of the bird, four eggs and a broken one, and the 

 following note : — 



** I cannot make out to what species these Rails belong. The 

 irides in all the three specimens sent you were dark-red, and 

 the legs and bills were more of a pinkish than reddish color. 

 No trace of green on either bills or legs. Those two killed on 

 the 8th May were a pair • the same shot wounded both while 

 they were walking about a piece of weed-covered water near my 

 bungalow ; an hour after the female was shot ; she laid an egg, 

 which unfortunately got broken. I send it, however, to compare 

 with the other four eggs which were found in a grass field close 

 to water on the 22nd June ; the female was caught on the nest, 

 which was a heap of grass rushes, &c, about 5 inches high 

 with a slight depression in the centre. This species of Rail is 

 very common here at present, but whether they remain all 

 the year round I must find out." 



The eggs of this species obtained in Sylhet by Mr. Cripps 

 are regular ovals of the usual Water-hen type. The shell is 

 tolerably fine and compact, but they have not much gloss. The 

 ground color varies from white to salmon pink. The markings 

 consist of spots, specks, streaks, and blotches of maroon red, 

 and smaller spots and streaks of dull inky purple or grey. 

 The markings apparently, never very dense or numerous, are 

 chiefly confined to the larger end. 



These eggs varied from T33 to 1-36 in length, and from 

 1-03 to 1'05 in breadth.— A. 0. H.] 



