1897.] OR RARE birds' EGGS. 893 



HiMATiONE tirens (Latham). (Plate LI. figs. 6, 7.) 



I believe that until very recently no egg of any species of the 

 remarkable Family Drepanididcv has been known. Whatever doubts 

 may exist as to the extent of that Family, there can be none as to 

 the inclusion in it of the genus Ffimatione. I have therefore great 

 pleasure in exhibiting tv\o eggs of one of the species that have 

 been longest known, H. virens. They may be described as being 

 of a french white, rather closely freckled or streaked with purplish- 

 brown, which towards the larger end may form a zone or cap. A 

 specimen obtained by Mr. Wilson measures -83 by '58 inch : one 

 obtained by Mr. Perkins at Kona in Hawaii, and thoroughly 

 identified, seems to be a little smaller, but its impaired condition 

 makes exact measurement dangerous. Its fellow-egg had already 

 hatched, and the chick has furnished Dr. Gadow with the means of 

 continuing his investigations. Several other eggs belonging to 

 species of this Family bave been brought home by Mr. Wilson, and 

 among them apparently those of H. mana and Vestiaria coccinea. 

 They exhibit much the same character of coloration, and there 

 is a strong family-likeness in the nests to which they belong. 

 Mr. Perkins has already noticed (Ibis, 1893, p. 106) the nest 

 of the present species ; but I may mention the fact that both the 

 Drepanids and Ghasiempis use to a considerable extent in nest- 

 building " the skeletonized fruit-capsules " of the so-called " Cape 

 Gooseberi'y " (Phijsalis peruviana), a plant not indigenous to 

 Hawaii — it being, I think, contrary to the general rule for birds 

 to use, except accidentally, materials of foreign origin. 



Emberiza rustica, Pallas. (Plate LI. figs. 8, 9.) 



In the Fourth Edition of Yarrell's ' British Birds ' (ii. p. 31) 

 mentioned an egg " professedly '" of this species which was in my 

 own collection. The kindness of Mr. Dresser in placing at my 

 disposal some authenticated eggs of this rare Bunting enables me 

 to say that my own specimen has most likely been wrongly named. 

 The two I exhibit were from a nest of five received by him from 

 Herr J. Alb. Sandman, who took them at Kivarijoki, near 

 Pudasjarvi in Finland, on the 5th of June, 1886, and fully identified 

 the species. This Bunting has occurred in Lapland during the 

 breeding-season, and has been more than once believed to breed in 

 that country (cf. Tarrell, iit sitprd); but, so far as my knowledge 

 goes, its nest has not before been found in Europe, and it therefore 

 gives me much pleasure to exhibit these genuine specimens of its 

 eggs, which may be described as being of a pale sea-green, with 

 irregular greyish-olive blotches and dashes. They measure 

 respectively -78 and "8 by -57 and -58 inch. 



PoDOCES panderi, Fischer. (Plate LI. fig. 10.) 



Eggs of this very interesting form of bird, the first, according to 

 my knowledge, ever obtained, were procured in Turkestan by Herr 

 Fedtctienko, and exhibited by Professor Cabanis at the annual 



