MISCELLANEOUS NOTES. 705 
colour after being laid and coming into contact with the light, Ihave taken 
eggs from Rain Quail which were pure white, whereas the eggs of this bird, 
when ordinarily found in the nest, are profusely spotted and sometimes 
boldly blotched with dark purple, the ground-colour of the egg being yellow- 
ish. In the same way I have taken an egg from a Florikan that was a very 
pale blue and without any gloss, whereas the ordinary colour of this bird’s 
egg is dark sap-green, and the egg hasa fine gloss over it, It is somewhat 
curious that the egg referred to by Blanford and Hume should be coloured 
and yet with little gloss, whereas my two eggs are pure white but decidedly 
glossy. 
HARRINGTON BULKLEY. 
K#ARAGHORA, 27th February, 1901. 
In continuation of my letter re the nidification of Pterocles senegallus, I 
write to say that I have this morning received from Mr, Fletcher another egg 
of the same species taken from a bird after it had been shot, 
This egg, unlike the other two, has the colouring weil developed with a 
fair amount of gloss, and is thus similar to the one obtained by Blanford 
and sent to Mr, Hume. Unfortunately the egg was broken when the bird 
fell shot. 
HARRINGTON BULKLEY, 
KHARAGHORA, 2nd March, 1901. 
No, XVII—THE SHOVELLER AS AN ARTICLE OF FOOD, 
The Shoveller, though one of the rankest of ducks, in the old days was not 
the despised bird itis now. Sir William Jardine, Bart., in his “ Naturalists’ 
Library,’’ published in 1845, Vol. XIV,, part 4, says :—“‘ In America it is much 
esteemed for the table, and Audobon remarks that “no one should pass a 
shoveller to shoot a canvas-back.” . . . . . In the poetry of How- 
ard, Earl of Surrey, the second course for His Grace the Duke of Norfolk 
is made to contain, amongother fowl, four seapeys, two shovellers, &c,” 
Fancy,anybody shooting a shoveller for the table when he can get a canvas- 
back ! 
Cuas, M. INGLIS, 
BaGHownIE Fry., DURBHANGA, 
28th February, 1901, 
No, XVIII.—OCCURRENCE OF MACRORHAMPAUS 
SEMIPALMATUS IN ASSAM. 
Mr, Macdonald, of the Titadimru Tea Estate in Lakhimpore, Upper Assam, 
shot a specimen of the Snipe-billed Godwit when out snipe-shooting on the 
