DETAILED LIST OF BIRDS. 
257 
white, or grey, or brownish stone colour. Their markings 
consist of the most delicate and intricate tracery of fine 
dark brown, in some places almost black, lines drawn over 
faint and pale inky-purplish streaks or marbling. Here and 
there a black or dark brown spot, like a fly caught in a 
spider's web, is seen amidst the tangle of lines that so spe- 
cially characterize the eggs of this species and others of 
the Bunting family. These lines I may remark are com- 
monly mostly confined to the large end of the egg, where 
they form in some a tangled cap and in others a broad 
irregular but conspicuous zone. I do not think that Dr. 
Breeds figure of the Meadow Bunting's egg conveys at all a 
good idea of the eggs of the Indian E. cia. The lines 
are much too few in number and too coarse and thick. 
Hewitson^s figure of the Yellow Ammer's egg much more 
closely resembles our eggs, but even in this the lines are 
neither sufficiently numerous nor fine. Anything more 
elaborate or intricate than the labyrinth-like pattern of hair- 
lines exhibited by some of the eggs before me can scarcely 
be conceived. These very fine lines and the manner in 
which they are disposed about the larger half of the egg, 
remind one forcibly of the very similar lines met with in 
the little Drymoipus inornatus. In size the eggs most closely 
approach those of the Cirl Bunting, and out of a very large 
series, only one is as large as that figured by Dr. Bree. 
The eggs of our bird vary in length from 0*72 to 0*92, and 
in breadth from 0'6 to 0 68. It is just possible, as above 
noticed, that our common Himalayan Bunting may require 
to be separated specifically from the E. cia of Europe. 
725. Hesperiphona icterioides (Vigors). 
One specimen was obtained at Sonamarg, Kashmir, on 
the 19th of June. [G. H.] 
This species breeds in May and June everywhere in the 
pine forests from 6000 to 9000 feet high, south of the 
first snowy ranges. It breeds also in Kashmir about the 
same time. Though continually heard, this species keeps 
habitually so high up on the pines, that it is not very often 
seen. [A. O. H.] 
s 
