ARE THE SAME SPECIES OF BIRDS 
MORE PROLIFIC IN NORTH THAN IN SOUTH 
AND MID EUROPE? 
JOHN P. THOMASSON, 
Bolton, Lancashire. 
Mr. Ropzert CoLuert, in his Review of the Bird Fauna of the 
neighbourhood of Christiania (1864), states the above as a fact, and 
gives as one instance the Whinchat, the number of whose eggs he 
Says is oftener seven than six, whereas in South and Mid Europe 
they seldom number more than six, and often only four are laid. 
He also states that the eggs of the Chiffchaff are ‘nearly always 
eight in number,’ whereas Yarrell says ‘ usually six,’ the number 
contained in the only two nests I have myself seen. 
Of the Willow Warbler, Collett states the eggs to be ‘nearly 
always seven,’ Yarrell six or seven, and though Seebohm says ‘five to 
eight,’ it is possible that the latter figure refers to his Siberian 
experience. It would be interesting to know if any of your readers 
have found in this country eight eggs in the nests of the Willow 
Warbler, Wood Wren, or Chiffchaff, or seven eggs in those of the 
Tree or Meadow Pipit. In Norway last year I was surprised to 
flush a Meadow Pipit from seven eggs, but I found that a friend in 
the same district had also found two nests with seven in each. Other 
nests I found the same month contained five (perhaps six), five, six, 
six, and six eggs, or eggs and young. I have only touched upon the 
subject as one of some interest. It would need an rire series of 
Statistics to enable one to pronounce any opinion upon 
Mr. Collett states that in Norway the Meadow ares and Gray- 
headed Wagtail go up on to the fells to nest, rarely doing so in the 
lowlands, as the former commonly does in England, and the latter on 
the Continent. 
The Brambling, a bird nearly allied to the Chaffinch 
but which only nests in the north, certainly lays more eggs 
than the latter bird. Seebohm says, ‘Six is the usual number 
seven.’ This agrees with my own experience in Norway, where 
I have found one nest at least with seven eggs, a friend found another 
last year with seven, Wolley also found a nest with seven (in 
Lapland ?) and another friend, while with me in Norway, found a 
Dec. 1891. 
