On the Structure of the Shell of the Egg in Birds, $c. 169 



rax united, stout, moderately curved, obsoletely carinated above, 

 thickly and closely punctured, the punctures confluent, sparingly 

 pilose, slightly incrassated towards the apex. Antennae rather 

 long, rufo-piceous, pilose. Thorax transverse, abruptly narrowed 

 in front, greatly dilated and rounded at the sides a little before 

 the middle, slightly convex above, obsoletely carinated and thickly 

 and closely granulated. Scutellum elevated, tuberculiform. Elytra 

 oblong-ovate, the shoulders elevated, rounded, the sides not dis- 

 tended, moderately convex above, punctate-striate, the interstices 

 broad, plane, closely granulated; rather thickly clothed with 

 hairs, variegated with cinereous and fuscous. Legs moderate 

 piceous-black ; femora subclavate, simple ; tibiae straight, densely 

 pilose, rufo-piceous, dentate at the apex internally; tarsi rufo- 

 piceous. Length 3 lines. 



Formerly I referred this to the preceding insect, but upon a 

 closer examination I think it is sufficiently distinct, and may be 

 discriminated, independent of minor differences, by having the 

 head foveolated, the rostrum slightly incrassated at the apex, and 

 the thorax granulated. P. Steveni of Schonherr agrees with this 

 insect in many of its essential characters, and possibly may turn 

 out a variety ; but the thorax is described by Gyllenhal as very 

 closely punctured, and the interstices between the striae on the 

 elytra as coriaceous. 



The only specimen I have seen was found amongst moss and 

 decayed vegetable matter from a wood at some distance from 

 Carlisle in December by T. C. Heysham, Esq., who kindly pre- 

 sented it to me. >o &f~- uL P*#f* -jOf^ . i*f3o) 



XVIII. — On the Structure of the Shell of the Egg in Birds, and 

 the nature and seat of the Colour. By G. Dickie, M.D., 

 Lecturer on Botany in the University and King's College of 

 Aberdeen. 



[With a Plate.] 



Some remarks under the above title formed the subject of a 

 communication read at a meeting of the Aberdeen Philosophical 

 Society, March 6th, 1841. Not having since that time, in the 

 course of my reading, met with any recorded facts of a similar 

 nature, they are now offered, with some additions, as a contribu- 

 tion to that branch of ornithology termed Oology. Through the 

 liberality of my friend Professor MacGillivray of Marischal 

 College, I have recently had an opportunity of examining eggs 

 not previously in my possession. 



In Carpenter's ' Manual of Physiology ' the following state- 

 ments are made respecting the development of the outer cover- 



Ann. $ Mag. N. Hist. Ser. 2. Vol. ii. 12 



