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Show 168 DR. J. J. KAUP ON NISI AND ASTURES. [Jan. 24, G. A. Boardman; and I owe the possession of three specimens of it to the liberality of m y friend Mr. H. E. Dresser, a Fellow of this Society, who has likewise kindly permitted m e to bring it before you on this occasion, furnishing me with several extracts from letters written to him by Mr. Boardman. These are to the effect that a nest of this bird, consisting of " about a pailful of down," was found in 1864 in a hollow tree. It contained six eggs. The old bird was caught upon it, and, being thus frightened, did not return to the eggs, which were accordingly taken on the 20th of May; but unluckily the man in descending the tree broke four of them. The following year (1865) a nest, believed to be that of the same hen bird, was found and the eggs taken 15th of June. Three of these are now in ( m y possession. They are of a very pure white colour, spheroidal in shape, and but for the grain, which is decidedly that of a Duck's egg, at first sight look a good deal like Owls'. The shell is remarkably smooth and strong, heavy and hard, the last peculiarity having been particularly noticed by Mr. Boardman when drilling the specimens. The long diameters of the three in m y possession are respectively 2*08, 2*11, and 2*06 inches; the short diameter of all is the same, 1*72 inch. Mr. Dresser informs m e that an egg of the first nest (upon which the bird was caught) precisely resembles these. It has been stated that on Prof. Agassiz's expedition to Lake Superior a nest of Mergus cucullatus was found containing several eggs, three, at least, of which have been sent by Dr. Brewer to this country. One of them was received by Dr. Frere, and at the dispersal of his collection it came into m y possession. This egg differs so entirely from the well-identified specimens obtained by Mr. Board-man that I cannot believe they belong to the same species. EXPLANATION OF PLATE XV. Fig. 1. Egg of Grey Phalarope, p. 165. 2. „ Nutcracker, p. 10-J. 3. ,, American Stint, p. 105. 4. ,, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, p. 165. 5. „ Yellow-shanks Sandpiper, p. 166. 6. „ Tooth-billed Pigeon, p. 164. 7. ,, Hoazin, p. 164. 10. O n the Nisi and Astures of the Indian Archipelago and of N e w Holland. By Dr. J. J. K A U P , C.M.Z.S., Director of the Grand-Ducal M u s e u m , Darmstadt*. Director Schlegel, in his meritorious work, ' Die Valkvoo-els van Nederl. Indie,' 1866, has enumerated thirteen species of these groups. Of these I possess eleven in all stages of plumage, for * Communicated by Dr. J. Murie, and translated under his superintendence from the German M S. |
