218 BRITISH BIRDS. [vol. vii. 



divided them into two distinct types — one with white 

 and the other with greenish-white ground-colour. 



TYPE A. 



Surface of shell white, markings pale olive-brown 

 evenly distributed, but usually denser at the large ends, 

 underlying markings lead-grey in various shades, mostly 

 confined to large end, extreme ends are sometimes 

 devoid of pigment ; general appearance distinctly smoky, 

 shape mostly narrow pointed ovals, though broad 

 ovals occur. Texture, distinctly finer grained than 

 those of the Common Whitethroat, and there is an 

 absence of pittings. 



TYPE B. 



Surface of shell greenish- white, markings dark olive- 

 brown to pale brown, mostly confined to large end, 

 forming dark caps or zones, and distinctly sharper 

 and more spotted in appearance than in type a ; under- 

 lying markings, shape, and texture same as a. This is 

 the commoner type. 



There is very little pronounced variation, the two 

 types being constant and well set, and aberrations 

 rare. I have a clutch which is very boldly marked 

 and clouded, one of the four eggs being pure white 

 with a few underlying marks at the large end only ; 

 another egg in a clutch of four has a clouded zone of 

 very thick pigment at the large end, with a band almost 

 unpigmented round the centre. Erythrism is said 

 to occur, but I have never heard of an erythristic clutch 

 having been found in this country, and I have not, yet 

 met with a well-known collector who has found one on 

 the Continent. Further confirmation on this point is 

 necessary from rehable sources. Some of the clutches 

 from the Continent I am inchned to think must be attri- 

 buted to the Sardinian Warbler. The egg figured by 

 Seebohm is not typical, nor I think are two of those figured 

 by Dresser (Nos. 43 and 47). The full clutch generally 

 consists of four eggs, sometimes three only. I have only 

 seen five clutches of five. 



