32 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATCRAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XX. 



My eggs which contain series from Scotland, England, Germany 

 and India agree well with Hume's description except one clutch from 

 Germany which has a red cafe-au-lait ground with dense blotches 

 and smears of rich vandyke brown and a few subsidiary blotches and 

 smears of deep-lavender. 



My Indian eggs average 1*6" X 1*32" as against an average of 1*70" 

 X 1'34" in English and Scotch eggs, and T69" X 1*32" for German 

 eggs. My biggest egg is one from Germany, measuring 1*86" X 

 1'54", my smallest is from Scotland and measures 1'59" X 1*26". 



It will be seen that the measurements of my eggs do not bear 

 out Hume's opinions as to Indian birds being smaller than European, 

 but rather endorses my view that Indian birds average small, because 

 they are immature. 



Seebohm gives the size of the Woodcock's eggs as being 1*8" to 

 1-6" in length and 1-4" to 1"3" in breadth. 



Dresser gives the average size as being l , 75"xl*32". 



The Plate. — This is an excellent one. This bird in the back- 

 ground is supposed to represent the grey phase of colouration, but, 

 though this is well shown in regard to the scapulars and back, yet 

 many birds will be found far more grey than this specimen on the 

 lower parts and wing quills also. As regards the bird in the fore- 

 ground all that need be said is that the white round the eye is far too 

 conspicuous and the bill is not a normal colour. It is true that in a 

 few birds the tint of the bill may be as depicted, but, as a rule, there 

 is always a more flesh or horn-coloured tinge about it. 



It must be remembered that the range of variation in the depth of 

 colouration of the Woodcock is yery great, and though the plate is 

 a very fine example of one shade, many birds will be found to be 

 paler, especially on the lower parts, whilst some again may be obtained 

 even darker than this bird. 



In life the eye of the Woodcock seems even larger, darker and 

 more lustrous than it is shown to be in the plate. 



(To he continued.) 



