Page:Condor12(3).djvu/10

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92 TIIE CONDOR Vo?. XII These eggs are plainly much larger than those of the eastern bird. Set number one contains four splendid eggs, measuring as follows: .85x.60, .86x.61, .87x.62, .88x.62. All are of quite uniform size, all plainly and plentifully markt about the larger end with irregular, kinky strokes and spots, varying from faint purplish to dark chestnut, over a dull greenish white ground somewhat clouded by the Weak chocolate flush, which is present in some of these specimens. One egg of this set has the marks somewhat lengthwise giving it a waved or marbled appearance, with no marks darker than cinnamon brown. These extend well over the surface except the point. Three. eggs of the set have the subdued purplish at the larger end approaching a wreath. The eggs of set number two have a clear, bright greenish-white ground color, uniform over the entire surface. They measure: .79x.57, .85x.58, .83x$8. One egg is almost plain at the point, with small specks and spots of faint cifinamon over Fig. 28. ANOTHER VIEW OF THE NEST SHOWN IN FIG. 27 the larger part of the surface. The other two are almost alike, being sparsely fleckt with cinnamon,, with little of this below the center, but heavily speckt with seal brown in an irregular wreath at the larger end. There are also a few kinky lines of the same color. These eggs have an exceedingly fragile shell, which may be said of all the sets, possibly caused by the character of food. The eggs of set number three measure as follows: .86x.62, .87x.62, .90x.60, being decidedly elongated. The ground color is a dull greenish, with the mark- ings, mostly at the larger end, consisting of splashes and specks of faint chocolate and cinnamon, forming a washt surface in form of a broad, dull wreath about the large end which is bare at the point, except in one egg in which the blotches extend over the entire surface. Then there is on each of these three eggs a deli- cate chocolate hair line encircling a small portion of the larger end. Hanging on