Vol. XXX vii.] 20 



These were taken on May 20, 1904, at S. Dionisio, A^nlcan 

 Island, Boniu Group, 24'^ N. and 141° E. Ground-colour 

 creamy, very numerous fine freckles and spots of two shades 

 of sienna-brown, also purple-grey shell-marks. Measure- 

 ments : (1) 29-2x22 5 mm.; (2) 30-9 X 23*0 mm. 



Mr. JouRDAiN also exhibited a typical egg of the European 

 Guillemot [Uria troille troille), side by side with a typical 

 specimen of the Californian race {U. troille californica), in 

 order to show the much larger size of the eggs of the latter 

 race. The egg was selected from a series of ten^ all of 

 which were much larger than normal eggs. The exhibitor 

 remarked that this was another case in which subspecific 

 characters are as apparent in the eggs as in the birds 

 themselves. 



Mr. C. E. Pearson exhibited a clutch of four eggs of the 

 Common Moorhen, two of which were quite unspotted, one 

 intermediate, and one normal. They were taken from the 

 old nest of a Magpie, 20 feet from the ground, and the 

 parent Moorhen was seen to leave the nest. 



Mr. P. F. BuNYARD exhibited clutches of eggs, with nest- 

 feathers and down, of the Pacitic Eider {Somateria v-niyra), 

 the King Eider [8. spectabilis), and Steller's Eider {Henico- 

 iietta stelleri) : — 



Somateria v-nigra : a clutch of five from the mainland 

 near Herschel Island, taken by the Eev. C. Whittaker, 

 June 10, 1905. 



Description. Pale olive-green, much j^aler than those of 

 either S. motlissima or S. spectabilis, and slightly smaller 

 than the former. Texture of shell more finely grained and 

 without the deep pittings found on those of S. mollissirna. 

 The soapy-like deposit *, characteristic of the eggs of the 

 Common Eider, is also absent. 



Feathers in nest, self-coloured, pale sooty-brown, paler at 



* ' Oologia Neerlandica,' A. A. Van Pelt Lecbner. 



