142 AZURE-WINGED MAGPIE. 



"The nests are of three principal forms. First, hori- 

 zontal cup-like nest, not domed. Second, the same 

 shape, but with one side raised. Third, an irregular 

 spherical nest, with a dome more or less thick, and a 

 lateral opening. Of fourteen nests, nine had the first 

 form, three the second, and two the third. All the 

 nests were upon large trees — poplar, oak, beech, ches- 

 nut, and walnut. Those with a raised side were fixed 

 in forked branches, and on the side which had most 

 support, the screen or covering was placed. One nest 

 only, which was in the broken branch of an Italian 

 poplar, had this covering without any support, but it 

 was not so high as usual. The screen had always a 

 reference to the prevailing wind. The two nests pro- 

 tected by a dome differed from each other; in one the 

 covering was almost transparent, whilst in the other it 

 was thick so as to keep out rain. One of these last 

 had a transverse diameter of twenty-two centimetres, 

 (eight inches and four fifths,) and the opening seven 

 centimetres high. 



These nests were formed outside of little sticks and 

 thorny branches. In the framework of the largest was 

 the branch of a plum tree as thick as one's finger, and 

 forty centimetres (sixteen inches) long. In four nests 

 the materials were united by clay mortar. All were 

 lined with flexible roots, stalks of grasses, wool, and 

 feathers." 



Of one hundred and eighty-seven eggs examined by 

 M. Moquin-Tandon, one hundred and eleven had the 

 ordinary size, (thirty to thirty-two millemetres by twenty 

 to twenty -five;) sixty-six were a fifth or sixth less; one 

 only a third less; one without yolk; five increased in 

 length both ends alike; four obtuse and much shorter. 

 These one hundred and eighty-seven eggs differed in 



