Relation of Avian Egg Weight to Body Weight

JUST over 50 years ago Heinroth (1922) published the first extensive list of egg weights and adult body weights for 427 species of birds.Since then additional data have appeared and the most extensive list can now be found in SchSnwetter's (1960-72) monumental description of bird eggs.With these as a major backlog, and data for the Fringillidae (Areadon 1943); the Sphenisciformes, Anseriformes, and Procellariiformes (Lack 1968); and Falconiformes (Mebs 1964), more than 800 egg weightbody weight correlates are now available.Our endeavor has been to describe the relationship between egg weight and body weight in mathematical terms that are amenable to further refinements when additional data became available.We have not been October 1975] Avian Egg and Body Weights 751 Order Families (mean) mx a b -+ g Laridae Alcidae Strigidae BucconSdae •z-a•m•.