Meetings of Section III. 47 



SECTION III. 



Biology, Nidification, Oology. 



Wednesday, June 14th. 



The President, Dr. Fatio, in the chair. 



Mr. Frank M. Chapman exhibited a splendid series of 

 photographs taken by himself in the Bahamas, illustrating 

 the breeding habits of the American Flamingo (Phceni- 

 copterus ruber).* 



Dr. Rudolf Blasitjs read a paper on bird life in the 

 Pyrenees. 



Mr. Prank M. Chapman exhibited a series of photographs 

 taken by himself in Florida, illustrating the breeding habits 

 of the Brown Pelican (Pelecanus fuscus). 



[The Meeting then adjourned.] 



Friday, June 16th. 

 The President, Dr. Fatio, in the chair. 



The Eev. CE, Jourdain read a paper on " Colour Variation 

 in the Eggs of Paleearctic Birds." 



After discussing the principal pigments which caused the 

 colour of eggs, as described by Mr.H. C. Sorby,P.L.S.,in 1875, 

 the author went on to point out that variations in eggs might 

 be traced to three main causes, (1) the absence of a pigment 

 normally present ; (2) the presence of a pigment normally 

 absent; (3) when two pigments were normally present, the 

 undue preponderance of one or the other. The causes were 

 all illustrated by examples, and a table was given, showing the 

 range and extent of variation in various families. 



Eef erring to Mr. Jourdain's paper, Mr. E. Gr. B. Meade- 

 Waldo said that the race of the Grey Wagtail, which was 

 found on the Canary Islands, frequently laid brick-red eggs, 

 and the clutch often contained a white egg. The Blackcap 

 of these islands, on the contrary, never, so far as he was aware, 

 laid a red egg, the clutches being either normal or white, or 



* Mr Chapman's paper on this subject is published in the Bull. Am. Mus. 

 N. H., Vol. XXL, pp. 53-77 (1905). 



