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amongst the German ornithologists. We give the following varieties from the collection of 
Mr. Dresser :— 
A. Ground-colour light grey with a faint greenish tinge, the underlying shell-markings 
light violet, and but few darker surface-spots. 
B. Ground-colour rather darker than the above, the surface-spots being darker and more 
extended. 
C. Ground-colour light yellowish white, slightly marked with light violet shell-spots and 
light reddish brown surface-markings. 
D. Ground-colour pale salmon-colour, with extended violet shell-spots and large red surface- 
spots. 
K. Ground-colour pale rosy white, with but few shell-spots and large, extended dark red 
surface-spots. 
F. Similar to var. E, but the surface-spots are larger and of a bright blood-red colour. 
According to Naumann and many other German oologists the eggs vary according to the age 
of the female, a young female laying eggs similar to var. A the first year, and continuing year after 
year to produce eggs altering gradually from varieties B to F, only very old females producing 
those as rich-coloured as var. F. Much weight should be attached to the opinion of so accurate 
an observer as Naumann; still the results of investigations made by other reliable naturalists 
make us hesitate before we indorse this theory. 
Pastor W. Passler, who holds the same opinion as Naumann, states (J. f. O. 1858, pp. 43-45) 
that he had ample opportunities of observing Shrikes which bred annually in his garden, and had 
convinced himself that the first year the female produced very small, light-greenish eggs, with 
ash-grey shell-spots and no surface-markings, resembling eggs of Sylvia nisoria. The second 
year the same female produced brighter-coloured eggs, which, besides the slate-grey underlying 
shell-spots (which are present in all stages of coloration), had greenish surface-spots. The third 
year the ground-colour of the egg was yellowish, and the green surface-spots mixed with 
yellowish. The fourth year the ground-colour was pale yellow, and the markings much brighter. 
The fifth year the ground-colour became yellowish red, and the markings the same, only darker ; 
and only after this did the female produce eggs with reddish ground-colour and red spots, which ~ 
year after year became brighter red, the eggs of very old females being marked with blood-red. 
On the other hand, Lieut. A. v. Homeyer (J. f. O. 1858, p. 324) holds the opinion that the age 
of the female has nothing whatever to do with the colour of the eggs, and as an instance adduces 
the fact that hundreds of eggs he saw in the Berlin Market were of the red variety, some marked 
with intense blood-red colour, whereas but very few belonged to the grey variety—also that out 
of twenty clutches of Red-backed Shrike’s eggs taken in Pomerania (at Vorland) not one egg 
belonged to any other than the grey variety (A or B). 
Mr. van Preen likewise observes (J. f. O. 1863, p. 291) that he shot very mature females, 
wearlng a plumage nearly approaching to that of the male, from nests containing eggs of the 
grey variety, and that he found eggs similar to varieties B and C belonging to females of 
various ages. 
Thus the matter still remains in great obscurity; and we can only recommend further 
investigation, at the same time remarking that there is great difficulty in ascertaining with any 
