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work ; and although he now possesses authentic eggs, he then described Wryneck’s eggs obtained 
from Schinz, which, however, he then looked on as doubtful. Of the three nests he there 
describes, the first appears to be that of a Black Redstart, as it was found in a metal spout, was 
simply made, flat, composed of hair, feathers, and moss, and contained pure white eggs. The 
second, obtained by Moquin-Tandon in the Pyrenees, may be genuine, although it contained white 
eggs, as the spots on some of the eggs are barely visible. ‘The third nest, from the Biindner 
Alps, is undoubtedly authentic. Naumann describes an oval unspotted white egg ‘ like that of 
a Black Redstart,’ to which it probably belongs. Baldamus even now appears to think that the 
Wall-creepers’ eggs are Wryneck-like—but latterly gives Abbé Caire’s description, which is 
correct, and refers to Badeker, who promises a correct figure in his proposed work. With 
the above before them, regular oologists have sent out Wrynecks’ eggs as those of the Wall- 
creeper ; and I have seen several such, in which I could not believe, although they came from 
‘good sources.’ In fact, not so very long ago eggs of Sylvia cinerea have figured for those of 
Calamoherpe locustella ; but every error, whether wilful or not, will sooner or later be brought 
to light. 
“ After considerable trouble I have at last succeeded in obtaining two authentic nests with 
eggs; and the female belonging to one was shot, and is in my possession, and has a large incuba- 
tion-spot. Both nests are from St. Gothard :—the one with two eggs taken on the Ist of June 
1854, at Matteli, near Scharenhaus; the other, with three eggs, on the 18th of June, near 
the Devil’s Bridge, in the Schdllern. These nests are composed of similar materials, and are in a 
manner like large nests of the Common Creeper, as in fact the bird itself, in spite of many differ- 
ences, is a reproduction of the Common Creeper adapted to the rocky Alps. For the size of the 
bird the nests are large, and at the first glance look like a heap of vegetable and animal products. 
The first weighs four loth, is 3” to 33" high, 6” long, 5” broad, and 13" deep; the irregular wall 
is 24” to 3" thick. Underneath is a foundation of tender shoots and roots; and on this the true 
nest is built. It appears as if an old nest, as for instance that of a Redstart, had been used for a 
foundation. The upper portion consists of fine mosses and white animal hair well worked up 
together ; at the edge the wall of the nest is rounded off, the materials being softest towards the 
interior ; and here and there are a few Ptarmigan’s feathers ; besides these there are a few tender 
yellow roots, a few bunches of hair of Hypudeus terrestris, Ilig., var. nivalis, Schinz, and a 
feather or two out of the breast of the bird itself. The second nest weighs only 12 loth, is 
2" high, 5” long, and 4” broad, 13” deep, and the wall 23” to 23” thick. In this the coarse 
foundation is wanting, except that the materials underneath are coarser and almost entirely of 
moss. ‘The lining resembles that in the nests of Wagtails, and is not easily detached from the 
rest ; it consists of brown and white hair of animals; and at the bottom of the interior of the 
nest it is very soft, almost lke down, and grey in colour. The edge of this nest is not rounded 
off like that of the other, but the entire top is even; a few feathers of the bird are here and 
there amongst the moss and hair, and also some small flocks of wool. The eggs are smaller 
than average ones of the Wryneck, and larger than those of the Black Redstart; in form they 
are not round, but oval, pear-shaped (egg-shaped) ; the shell is slightly polished, and red-spotted 
on a milk-white ground. ‘The spots are dark reddish brown, very small, dotted sharply, and well 
defined, being most numerous at the base, and almost wanting at the pot. ‘Two of the eggs in 
