﻿258 
  THE 
  ZOOLOGIST. 
  

  

  to 
  a 
  creamy 
  colour. 
  One, 
  however, 
  was 
  composed 
  of 
  decaying 
  

   vegetable-matter, 
  well-coated 
  with 
  slimy 
  mud, 
  and 
  evidently 
  

   procured 
  from 
  the 
  river-bed, 
  and 
  the 
  eggs 
  in 
  it, 
  although 
  nearly 
  

   fresh, 
  were 
  most 
  hopelessly 
  stained 
  and 
  muddied. 
  As 
  I 
  was 
  in 
  

   need 
  of 
  some 
  Little 
  Grebe's 
  eggs, 
  I 
  took 
  three 
  of 
  the 
  clutches, 
  

   particulars 
  of 
  which 
  I 
  append 
  : 
  — 
  

  

  Clutch 
  No. 
  1, 
  containing 
  three. 
  — 
  Very 
  stained 
  and 
  ingrained 
  

   with 
  mud 
  ; 
  all 
  rather 
  spindle-shaped, 
  only 
  slightly 
  incubated. 
  

   No. 
  1. 
  Length, 
  1| 
  in. 
  ; 
  width, 
  ^f 
  in. 
  No. 
  2. 
  Length, 
  l 
  T 
  9 
  g 
  in. 
  ; 
  

   width, 
  l^jr 
  in. 
  No. 
  3. 
  Length, 
  1^ 
  in. 
  ; 
  width, 
  1 
  in. 
  

  

  Clutch 
  No. 
  2, 
  containing 
  three. 
  — 
  Chalky 
  w 
  T 
  hite, 
  somewhat 
  

   stained 
  ; 
  all 
  rather 
  spindle-shaped, 
  and 
  having 
  a 
  decided 
  point 
  

   at 
  either 
  end; 
  quite 
  fresh. 
  No. 
  1. 
  Length, 
  1 
  h 
  in. 
  ; 
  width 
  \% 
  in. 
  

   No. 
  2. 
  Length, 
  l 
  T 
  7 
  e 
  in. 
  ; 
  width, 
  ^f 
  in. 
  No. 
  3. 
  Length, 
  If 
  in. 
  ; 
  

   width, 
  \% 
  in. 
  

  

  Clutch 
  No. 
  3, 
  containing 
  four. 
  — 
  Slightly 
  stained 
  to 
  a 
  brownish 
  

   creamy 
  colour 
  ; 
  rather 
  more 
  truly 
  oval 
  than 
  last, 
  but 
  neverthe- 
  

   less 
  having 
  a 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  defined 
  point 
  at 
  either 
  end 
  ; 
  quite 
  

   fresh. 
  No. 
  1. 
  Length, 
  1| 
  in. 
  ; 
  width, 
  1 
  in. 
  No. 
  2. 
  Length, 
  

   1 
  T 
  7 
  £ 
  in. 
  ; 
  width, 
  1 
  in. 
  No. 
  3. 
  Length, 
  ly 
  9 
  ^ 
  in. 
  ; 
  width, 
  1 
  in. 
  

   No. 
  4. 
  Length, 
  lh 
  in. 
  ; 
  width, 
  Jf 
  in. 
  

  

  I 
  had 
  two 
  Sky-Lark's 
  eggs 
  brought 
  in 
  for 
  me, 
  one 
  of 
  which 
  

   was 
  an 
  aberrant 
  type. 
  In 
  shape 
  it 
  is 
  most 
  pyriform, 
  having 
  a 
  

   far 
  more 
  accentuated 
  pear-shape 
  than 
  any 
  Plover's 
  egg. 
  In 
  

   colour 
  and 
  markings 
  it 
  is 
  normal, 
  except 
  that 
  on 
  the 
  point 
  of 
  the 
  

   small 
  end 
  the 
  markings 
  are 
  absent, 
  the 
  result 
  being 
  a 
  dingy 
  

   white 
  area. 
  

  

  