Vol. xl.] 32 
considerable number of nests and eggs of this bird, I have 
never come across a red clutch—the ground-colour is, how- 
ever, lighter than the eggs of the Common Lapwing of 
Hurope. I have seen no Indian Lapwing’s eggs so dark as 
those of the Common Lapwing of this country, such as were 
shown to me the other day by a collector in England, who 
informed me that his darkest eggs were taken in low-lying 
meadows and marshes. This, again, suggests that the bird’s 
eggs are gradually being adapted to its surroundings. 
Capt. Lynzs exhibited some examples of new racial forms 
of the Nuthatch and Robin from the Middle Atlas of 
Morocco. He described them as follows :— 
Sitta europea atlas, subsp. nov. 
Very similar to S. e. cesia, but bill conspicuously more 
slender, attenuate, a smaller base even than S. e. britannica. 
Feet and claws rather weaker. Wing of 4 dad. av. 87 mm., 
rather longer than in S. e. cesta. Colour below inclined to 
paleness, but examples in freshly moulted plumage are 
required to show whether this is constantly more so than in 
other races. 
o 
Erithacus rubecula atlas, subsp. nov. 
Near EL. r. rubecula, especially some southern examples, 
but differs from all in top-side, including rump, being dark 
earthy olive-green, lacking all tinge of rufous. One of the 
big-billed forms. A specimen obtained by Mr. Meade- 
Waldo in 1901 in the Great Atlas agrees in all respects. 
Capt. Lynes hopes that an account of his Morocco trip 
will appear in the next January number of the ‘ Ibis.’ 
Mr. J. D. La Tovucue mentioned that a living example of 
Rhopophilus pekinensis, brought by him from N.H. Chihli to 
Shasi, Central Hupeh, China, in the autumn of 1917, failed 
the following summer to moult its tail-feathers in a normal 
manner. As the shafts grew they broke off, and finally 
developed in the shape of wavy plumes, the shaft being very 
fine and supple and the webs appearing in the shape of 
rough spatules, about five to each shaft, the intervening 
