280 INDIAN DUCKS. 



Yarrell describes the eggs as being o£ a " unit'omi bntf-coloured white, 

 measuring 2^ inches in length by 1 inch and 8 lines in breadth. Six or 

 seven vouno; are considered a lari«o brood ; the careful mother has been 

 seen .... to carry some o£ her offspring on her back when in the water.' 

 Dresser says that the eggs are, or are said to be Ijy his correspondents, 

 '^ warm, yellowish-white,*' and '• rich cream or creamy-white, very smooth 

 in texture of shell, and in size average about 2'40 x 1*40 inches. The 

 down in which they are deposited is greyish-white." 



Hume writes : — " The eggs are said to vary in nuudjer from seven to 

 twelve. They are broad, regidar ovals, with very line, smooth, satiny 

 shells ot" a uniform bufty-white or creamy-yellow. They vary from 2*5 to 

 2"9 inches in length and from 1"(JG to 1'9 inches in breadth, liut the 

 average of eleven is 2'7 by 1*8 inches nearly.'' 



I have two eggs of this species in my collection which were taken in 

 Lapland on the 20th April, 1886, and eight others which were taken in 

 April 1897. This seems to be about the normal time for them to 

 commence to lay, Ijut as the first two eggs were considerably incubated, 

 they had probably Ijeen laid early in the month. They are found well on 

 into June, My eggs are rather long, very regular ovals, though in all 

 there is an apprecialjle difference between the two ends. The texture is 

 extremely smooth and close, and has the satiny feel to the touch that some 

 passerine birds' eggs have. The colour is a very pale dull buff with a 

 decided gloss. They measure 2'75 by 1'82 inches and 2'i}2 by 1*72 inches 

 in the first two and average in the second eight 2*73 by 1*81: inches. 



