266 



SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



markings, the large deep red spots in proximity to 

 the blue ones, render it a striking species : especially 

 in its varietal form princeps. 



Hab. N.W. Himalayas, E. Turkestan, Chinese 

 Tartary. VII. — VIII. m. Frequents rocky mountain 

 steeps at a great elevation, up to over 20,000 ft. 



Leech, in his great work, gives a graphic descrip- 

 tion of the habits of this species and the difficulties 

 attending its capture in inhospitable regions of storm 

 and snow. It receives its name from Major Charl- 

 ton, who discovered it about 1850, among the 

 mountains of Lapsang. 



a. var. princeps. Honr. B. E. Z. 1887, p. 351. 

 Somewhat larger than the type. Of a white ground 

 colour, and with the markings less black. The red 

 spots are larger, and in both sexes there is an 

 elongated red spot near an. ang. h.w. U.S. h.w. basal 

 spots more distinctly marked with red. Abdominal 

 pouch in $ as in type. Hab. Transalai. VI. e. 



Group 5. Scapulati Aust. 



This group is distinctly separated from Group 4 

 on account of the peculiar abdominal pouches ; but 

 in it we have still the blue central ante-marginal 

 spots on the h.w. The expanse of wings is much 

 smaller. 



20. P. orleansi O berth., R. H. p. 109. 



SO—53 mm. 



Wings white, with a slight yellowish tinge. F.w. 

 with the usual bands and markings. The external 

 costal spots, and the one on in. marg. are joined by 

 a patch of shading, so as to form a distinct central 

 band. There are no traces of red on f.w. I f.w. 

 with a very narrow marginal band, and a row of 



black spots internal to it, the two nearest the an. 

 ang. with blue centres. The costal and central spots 

 well defined and with red centres. Base and in. 

 marg. deeply black, the black patch resembling in 

 shape that in P. adiiis. U.s. h.w. with three basal 

 red spots and one near an. ang. 

 Hab. Koko Noor. 



zi. P. szcchsnyi Friv. Le Naturalist^ p. 200. 

 1894. 



60 — 62 mm. 



Wings more elongated than is usual in this genus. 

 F.w. with all the usual spots and markings, but 

 without a central band as in last, a slight trace of 

 red in $ on outer subcostal spots. H.w. In marg. 

 black as in P. orleansi, a black ante-marginal band 

 reaching from costa to meet two large black spots 

 with well-defined blue centres near an. ang. Red 

 spots well defined. Ground colour tinged with 

 yellowish, °- whiter than $ as regards the ground 

 colour, and the markings less pronounced ; resembling 

 it otherwise. The abdominal pouch is white and 

 large, flattened laterally, and embracing the side of 

 the last segments. Antennae in both sexes with 

 elongate black clubs, shafts ringed with white. U.S. 

 pale and glazed, with a peculiar chalky whiteness on 

 all the red spots. 



Hab. Koko Noor. 



This species and P. orleansi are described from 

 specimens sent to me by Dr. Staudinger. 



[Note. — Through an unfortunate printer's error, 

 made after passing final proofs last month, the name 

 of third figure on page 236 is incorrect. It should 

 read P. delphius var. infemalis. — Ed. S.G.] 



( To be continued. ) 



ON COLOURING OF BIRDS' EGGS. 

 By Reginald J. Hughes. 



(Concluded from page 242.) 



I" WILL now consider the points Mr. Wheldon 

 raises in detail, and, as much as possible, in his 

 order. I stated that the colours of blue eggs could 

 scarcely be protective, chiefly from my personal ex- 

 perience that these eggs, placed in the centre of a 

 dark-coloured nest, are not at all difficult to see ; 

 that a nest containing such eggs can be found more 

 readily than an empty one ; and that they are more 

 likely to catch the eye in looking through thej leaves 

 of a shrub than a brown bird sitting on the nest. If 

 eggs are coloured for protection, why are those with 

 a brown pigment not evenly coloured, so as to match 

 the bottom of a nest, instead of the colour being in 

 spots on a white ground ? If Mr. Wheldon grants 

 that only blue-green eggs could be protectively 

 coloured, can he explain why various birds nesting in 

 similar positions require such different amounts of 



protection, some laying blue and some red and others 

 white eggs ? As a matter of fact, I do not believe 

 that either the eggs or the incubating female of 

 English arborescent birds require much protection. 

 Our birds of prey, when they take eggs, only steal 

 those of birds which nest on the ground, and there 

 are protectively coloured. The brown plumage of 

 English birds is chiefly useful to them when sitting 

 on the bare boughs of our trees, especially in winter. 

 In spite of the one exception advanced, f must 

 still affirm that the eggs of most nocturnal birds are 

 white, such as those of the sea-birds mentioned in 

 my previous article, and of the owls. Birds possess 

 the power of depositing colouring matter in very 

 different degrees, and the depth of colour on a bird 

 need not be proportional to the amount of food con- 

 sumed capable of conversion into pigment. It will 





