160 



THE OOLOGIST. 



breasted Grosbeak in the same clutch, 

 nor still any enormous variation any- 

 way, ye't, when a series of sets are 

 brought together, there will be noticed 

 ditl'erent phases of markings which 

 constitute quite a variation and this 

 variation will be more conspicuous, I 

 dare say, as the series grows larger. 



I fail to tind any variation whatever 

 in the shade of the ground color, it 

 being, in all specimens compared, the 

 same greenish-blue tint. As to size 

 there is an apprecial:)le variation, but I 

 will not stop to speak of this variation. 



To suit my own fancy, I have divided 

 the various markings of the eggs of 

 Indoviciana into three classes or phases 

 which I will name for convenience: 

 the reddish, tlie dark brown and the 

 greenish-drab. 



I will now attempt to describe four 

 sets of eggs from my collection, as 

 representing these three phases, re- 

 marking first that imder-markings.of 

 lilac occur in all specimens which I 

 have seen. 



Sets 1 and 2, of the four above named, 

 represent the reddish phase of mark- 

 ings, set 1 being very heavily marked, 

 while set two is much more lightly and 

 sparingly spotted. These reddish mark- 

 ings are almost precisely similar in 

 color to the color found on eggs of the 

 Field Sparrow, where the spots mingle 

 thickly about the great end. In set 1 

 the markings are nearly all blotches or 

 large spots, there being scarcely any 

 minute markings. These blotches and 

 large spots cover nearly the entire sur- 

 face of the egg and in egg No. 3, of this 

 set, almost hides the ground color. Egg 

 No. 1 is an exception to this statement, 

 the markings being very well confined 

 to the large end, the smaller end being 

 almost wholly unmarked. The general 

 cast of this set is a dull red. 



The markings of set No. 3 are of the 

 same color as those of the previous set, 

 but are vei-y different from them both 

 in size and distribution. The spots and 



blotches are both small and well con- 

 fined to the great end of the egg, 

 although, of course, as is always the 

 case, there are scattering spots and 

 markings tliroughout the entire surface 

 of the egg. In this set, the first trace 

 of a confluent ring of spots about the 

 larger end is noticed, it being very dis- 

 tinct in egg No. 1 and quite indistinct, 

 thougli plainly discernable in the other 

 three eggs of the set (all of the sets here 

 figured comprise four eggs each). 

 Although the tint of the ground color 

 and of all the markings are precisely 

 the same in both the sets 1 and 2, yet 

 their general appearance is very dift'er- 

 ent, occasioned by the heavy and 

 numerous markings of set No. 1. 



The dark brown phase of markings 

 is represented by set No. 3. The mark- 

 ings of this set, as concerns size and 

 distribution, are similar to those of set 

 No 3, differing from them only in color. 

 The color of the markings is a dark 

 brown, almost reaching black in one 

 or two spots and approaching greenish- 

 brown in others. In this set, tlie con- 

 fluent ring is plainly discernable in 

 three of the eggs and wholly indiscern- 

 able in the fourth. 



Egg No. 3 is very liglit, in that the 

 markings are few and sparse and nearly 

 all confined to the confluent ring, which, 

 consequently, is very conspicuous. The 

 smaller end of the egg is comparatively 

 free from spots. 



Set No. 4 represents the greenish- 

 drab markings and is tlie most peculiar 

 set of this species I have ever noticed, 

 not, perhaps, because this phase of 

 markings is more uncommon, but be- 

 cause the markings are so exceedingly . 

 light and faint. In color they are 

 almost precisely similar to the markings 

 of the eggs of the Prairie Horned Lark. 



Eggs Nos. 1 and 2 of this set are the 

 most thickly marked and even these 

 present a lighter appearance than egg 

 No. 3 of set 3, mentioned abo-ve. Eggs 

 3 and 4 of this set present markings 



