377 



I should mention that the Khan 8ahib took all these eggs in a 

 circle of about twenty miles round Urneeualla, which is in the 

 west of the Sirsa District, just north of Bikanir and Bhawulpoor, 

 in both of which States some of the eggs above mentioned were 

 secured. 



Writing of the Great Indian Bustard in the Deccan, Messrs. 

 Davidson and Wenden say : — " Common and breeds. It is very 

 much more common during the rains and cold seasons than at 

 other times." 



The eggs of this noble bird vary very much in size and shape. 

 They are ail more or less oval ; but while some are moderately 

 broad and slightly pointed at one end, others are long ovals, exactly 

 similar at both ends ; and others again are long and cylindrical, 

 of the same size and shape as the egg of the great Northern 

 Diver figured by Mr. Hewitson ; and I have one specimen that 

 both in colour, shape, and size might have been the one from 

 which his plate of the egg of the European Bustard was taken. 

 The shells are very thick and strong, closely resembling those of 

 the Sams in texture, and, like those of the latter species, the 

 eggs very commonly exhibit pimples and rugosities at the large 

 end, so much so that out of sixty eggs now before me only 

 seven are perfectly free from such imperfections. Some of 

 the eggs are dull and with little gloss, the whole surface being 

 closely pitted with small pores similar to, but fewer than, those in 

 the Peafowl's egg, while other specimens are brilliantly glossy. 

 The ground-colour varies much. Typically it is a sort of drab 

 colour, but it is often earthy brown, pale olive-brown, pale reddish 

 brown, dingy olive-green, and, although rarely, even pale leaden 

 blue. The markings vary in extent, number, and intensity ; some- 

 times thev are pretty deep reddish-brown and clearly-marked 

 blotches, but more usually they are pale reddish-brown clouds and 

 streaks, sometimes so faint as to be mere mottlings, and sometimes, 

 though rarely, altogether wanting. Occasionally the markings 

 form an irregular blotchy cap at the large end. 



As helping to give an idea of what the eggs are like, I quote 

 here a description, made on the spot before we blew them, of six eggs 

 that we obtained on one da}', and three of which I myself took : — 



" The first of these is, the Khan says, rather an exceptional egg 

 as regards colouring. It has a hluish-green ground, thinly spotted 

 and blotched with deep umber-brown, and towards one end there 

 is a pretty conspicuous zone of spots and blotches, most of the 

 blotches here being of a pale purplish brown. The next egg is a 



