INDIAN DUCKS AND THEIR ALLIES. 205 
In this box, amongst other things, there was the head of a female 
Smew and three eggs, part of a clutch of seven. These three eggs 
were described by Wolley as follows :— 
“On comparing them with aseries of something like fifty Wigeon’s 
_ eges, I found they were pretty nearly of the same size, though rather 
below the average. They were flattened at the small end more than 
any of the Wigeons’, and they had less of the yellow tinge about 
‘them, so that persons not much used to eggs could pick them out of 
the lot; but all these peculiarities might be accidental, though 
it seemed remarkable that any woodman trying to pass off Wigeons’ 
eges for Smews’ should have been able to find so abnormal a nest. 
But it was not so very long before I satisfied myself that there was 
a decided difference of texture. This could be perceived on ordinary 
examination ; but it became very striking on exposing the eggs to 
direct sunshine and examining the penumbra, or space between full 
light and full shadow, with a magnifying glass—the sharp mountainous 
character of the Wigeon’s egg was strongly contrasted with the 
lower and more rounded character of the elevations in the Smew’s. 
* * * * * * Murther I tried the sense of touch ; scratching the egg 
with the most sensitive of my finger nails I could at once’ perceive 
the greater roughness of the Wigeon’s egg * *** The ivory-like 
texture if the goosanders’ egg was a pretty parallel to the character 
of the Smew’s.” 
Afterwards Wolley received from the priest Liljebad the other four 
eggs of the sect, and with them the rest of the remains of the duck 
Smew, the head of which had been sent to him with the first three. 
The dimensions of these eggs he gives as 2°04" to 2°05" in length 
and from 1°42" to 1°52" in breadth. 
They are described by Wolley at great length, but briefly may be 
said to have been broad ovals, one end very much smaller than the 
other, yet decidedly obtuse. 
Seebohm and Harvie Brown obtained the eggs from the peasants 
in North-Hast Russia; these were obtained from hollows in trees, 
lined thickly with the usual pale grey down. 
According to Oates, “ Some of these eges brought by Mr. Seebohm 
from Petchora are now in the British Museum. They are nearly 
elliptical in shape, very smooth and glossy. They are of a pale cream 
