86 



Genus TOXOSTOMA, Wagl. 



It is somewhat difficult to give any satisfactory general descrip- 

 tion of the eggs of Toxostoma ; but it may be noticed that there are 

 two very distinct and extreme forms — one (T. rufum) in which the 

 pale greyish or greyish-blue ground-colour is almost concealed by 

 the fine markings of reddish brown all over the surface ; and the 

 other {T. crissale) of pure spotless blue of medium intensity. 

 Starting from T. rufum, the eggs would seem to run in a descending 

 scale of red markings and an ascending scale of blue ground-colour, 

 through T. longirostre, T. einereum, T. bendirei, X- curvirostre, 

 T. palmeri, T. redivivum, and T. lecontei in the order named, to 

 T. crissale, the blue form. 



Taken as a whole, the eggs of this genus do not vary much 

 in size ; they are only moderately glossy. 



Toxostoma rufum {Linn.). 



Turdus rufus, Thien. Fort'pfianz. ges. Vog. tab. zxiv. fig. 21 (1845-64). 



Harporhynchus rufus, Coues, Birds N.- West, p. 9 (1874) ; Baird, Brewer 

 ^ Bidgw. N. Amer. Birds, i. p. 37 (1874) ; Coues, Birds Colorado 

 Vail. p. 61 (1878) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds B. M. vi. p. 353 (1881) ; 

 Nehrh. Kat. Eiersamml. p. 49 (1899). 



Toxostoma rufum, Sharpe, Hand-l. iv. p. 106 (1903). 



The eggs of the Brown Thrasher are of a regular oval form, and 

 are very pale grey or greyish blue, densely marked with minute 

 dots of light reddish brown. In most specimens the markings are 

 . very uniformly distributed over the entire shell, but in a few they 

 are denser at the broad end and form an ill-defined cap. Specimens 

 measure from -94 to 1-14 in length, and from -72 to -8 in breadth. 



7. North America ( Tristram Coll.). Crowley Bequest. 



4. North America {Smiths. Inst). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



1. North America. Salviu-Godman Coll. 



6. North America. W. Eadclifie Saunders, Esq. 



[P.]. 



3. Fort DuflFerin, Manitoba, 16th June N. Amer. Bound. Comm. 



{Q. M. Dawson). 



9. Massachusetts (Henshaw Coll.). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



4. Vesmsyhiama. {S. F. Baird). PrincetonUniversity.N.J.rEl. 



2. New York (/. O. Bell: Tristram Crowley Bequest. 



CoU.). ^ 



Toxostoma einereum {Xantus). 



Harporhynchus cinereus, Xantus, Proc. Philad. Acad. 1859 p. 298- 

 Baird, Breioer ^ Bidgw. N. Amer. Birds, i. p. 40 a874")' Shame' 

 Cat. Birds B. M. vi. p. 355 (1881); Nehrh. Kat. Eiersamml. p. 49 



Toxostomg, einereum, Sharpe, Hand-l. iv. p. 106 (1903). 



The eggs of the Cape St. Lucas Thrasher and of the species next 

 in order, the Arizona Thrasher, appear to have more general 



