MERGUS ALBELLUS. 2G7 



Seebohm and Har\ie-Brown obtained the eggs from the peasants in 

 Korth-east Russia ; these were obtained from hollows in trees, lined thickly 

 with the usual pale grey down. 



According to Gates, " Some of these e^gs brouoht bv Mr. Seebohm from 

 Petchora are now in the British Museum. They are nearly elliptical in 

 shape, very smooth and glossy. They are of a pale cream-colour, and 

 measure from 1*9 to 2'05 inches in length and from l"-42 to 1'52 in 

 breadth. 



'' The Smew generally breeds in the month of July, and lays seven or 

 eight eggSj which are placed in a hollow of a tree or in one of the boxes 

 hung up by the villagers for the use of the Golden-eve. ^^ 



Morris, in ' British Birds,' says : — " The nest of the Smew is made of 

 dry grass, and lined with the down of the bird itself. It is placed on the 

 ground upon the banks of lakes and rivers, not far from the water, or in 

 the hollow of a tree. 



" The eggs are said to be eight or ten, or from that to fourteen in 

 number, and of a yellowish-white colour."' 



The egg, as shown by him in a plate, is a bright deep buff. One egg 

 of this species in my collection I owe, as I do many of my rarer ducks* 

 eggs, to the generosity of Herr Kuschel. 



In general description my egg agrees very well with those obtained by 

 Seebohm and described by Gates. It is much stained, but where the 

 original colour shows it is an extremely pale, rather clear cream. It 

 measures 1'95 by 1'47 inches, and was taken in Finland on the Gth June, 

 1895. It appears to me to have been considerably incubated at the time 

 it was taken, so they must, sometimes at least, breed long before July, 

 which is the month in which the greater number are said to breed. 

 Another clutch, obtained through Skinner, St. Mary's Cray, agrees exactly 

 with KuscheFs egg, and the dimensions come within the limits already 

 given. These eggs were taken in Lapland in the month of June. 



