Part 19

The highest mountain-tops of Scotland and the Shetlands are patronised by the Snow Bunting during the breeding season. It makes its nest of withered grass, fine roots, and moss, and lines it with down, wool, hair, or feathers, and situates it in crevices of rock or amongst loose stones. The eggs number from four to eight, but five or six are generally found, varying from dull white to very light greenish-blue in ground colour, spotted and blotched with reddish-brown, and occasionally streaked with blackish-brown. The markings are most numerous at the larger end, and the underlying ones are of a light grey and pale brown.

1. Hoopoe. 2. Red-necked Phalarope. 3. Crested Tit. 4. Common Tern. 5. Red-throated Diver. 6. Black-throated Diver. 7. Lesser Tern. 8. Montagu's Harrier. 9. Sedge Warbler. ]

THE SPOTTED CRAKE.

The eastern and southern counties of England are the favourite breeding resorts of this somewhat uncommon bird. Its nest is large, and made of reeds, sedges, rushes, and other materials growing in swamps, and is placed on a tussock or amongst reeds, the base generally resting in water. The eggs number eight to ten, and even twelve, and vary in ground colour from white to buff, the intermediate stages including olive and greenish-white. They are spotted with reddish-brown of varying shades, and grey.

THE RED-THROATED DIVER.

I have seen this bird's nest in the Outer Hebrides, where it is fairly common. It also breeds on the mainland of Scotland and in Ireland. The nest is generally placed close to the edge of some mountain tarn or loch, and is a mere depression trodden in the peat earth, sometimes scantily lined with bits of dead bent or water-weeds. The eggs number two, of a dark brownish-olive, frequently greenish, spotted with blackish-brown, and underlying markings of a lighter character.

THE BLACK-THROATED DIVER.

The Black-throated Diver breeds in the Outer Hebrides and on the mainland of Scotland. It places its nest, which is made of reeds and aquatic weeds, lined with grass, on the shingle of mountain-loch shores and small islands. The eggs number two, dark olive-brown, or buffish-brown, spotted somewhat sparingly with blackish-brown and umber-brown. The eggs need careful identification, else they are likely to be confused with those of the Red-throated species.

INDEX

Auk, Little, 69

Bittern, 33 Blackbird, 29 Blackcap, 46 Black Redstart, 62 Blue Tit, 46 Brambling, 63 Bullfinch, 22 Bunting, Black-headed, 65 " Cirl, 60 " Common, 56 " Snow, 90 Buzzard, 60

Capercailzie, 35 Carrion Crow, 44 Chaffinch, 23 Chiffchaff, 51 Chough, 58 Cirl Bunting, 60 Cole Tit, 68 Coot, 55 Cormorant, 66 Crake, Spotted, 90 Creeper, 66 Crossbill, 32 Crow, Carrion, 44 " Hooded, 55 Cuckoo, 48 Curlew, Common, 55 " Stone, 75

Dartford Warbler, 61 Dipper, 52 Diver, Red-throated, 91 " Black-throated, 91 Dotterel, 69 Dove, Ring, 26 " Rock, 69 " Stock, 61 " Turtle, 66 Duck, Eider, 43 " Wild, 47 " Tufted, 75 " Pintail, 83 Dunlin, 36

Eagle, Golden, 43 " White-tailed, 42 Eider Duck, 43

Falcon, Gyr, 57 " Peregrine, 54 Fieldfare, 57 Fly-catcher, Pied, 36 " Spotted, 62

Gadwall, 75 Gannet, 67 Garden Warbler, 53 Garganey, 76 Golden-crested Wren, 27 Golden Eagle, 43 " Plover, 37 Goldfinch, 21 Goose, Grey Lag, 73 Goosander, 77 Goshawk, 73 Grasshopper Warbler, 43 Grebe, Little, 35 " Great Crested, 77 Greenfinch, 28 Greenshank, 80 Green Woodpecker, 30 Grey Wagtail, 64 Grouse, Red, 25 " Black, 89 Guillemot, Common, 68 " Black, 77 Gull, Black-headed, 50 " Common, 30 " Herring, 44 " Great Black-backed, 89 " Lesser Black-backed, 88 Gyr Falcon, 57

Harrier, Montagu's, 86 " Hen, 87 " Marsh, 87 Hawfinch, 61 Hawk, Kestrel, 25 " Merlin, 33 " Sparrow, 45 Hedge-Sparrow, 52 Heron, 49 Hobby, 87 Hooded Crow, 55 Hoopoe, 84 House Sparrow, 25

Jackdaw, 25 Jack Snipe, 57 Jay, 24

Kestrel, 25 Kingfisher, 30 Kite, 39 Kittiwake, 78

Landrail, 38 Lapwing, 31 Lark, Shore, 67 " Sky, 37 " Wood, 32 Lesser Whitethroat, 41 Linnet, 23

Magpie, 22 Marsh Tit, 69 Martin, House, 51 " Sand, 39 Meadow Pipit, 35 Merlin, 33 Merganser, Red-breasted, 79 Missel Thrush, 53 Moorhen, 31

Nightingale, 31 Nightjar, 33 Nuthatch, 29

Oriole, Golden, 85 Osprey, 85 Ouzel, Ring, 59 " Water, 52 Owl, Barn, 31 " Long-eared, 40 " Short-eared, 78 " Tawny, 43 Oyster-catcher, 68

Partridge, 46 " Red-legged, 70 Peregrine Falcon, 54 Petrel, Stormy, 34 " Fulmar, 76 " Leach's Fork-tailed, 84 Phalarope, Grey, 42 " Red-necked, 84 Pheasant, 48 Pied Fly-catcher, 36 " Wagtail, 48 Pintail Duck, 83 Pipit, Meadow, 35 " Rock, 65 " Tree, 36 Plover, Golden, 37 " Green, 31 " Kentish, 60 " Ringed, 82 Pochard, 62 Ptarmigan, 54 Puffin, 58

Quail, 67

Rail, Land-, 38 " Water, 56 Raven, 23 Razor-bill, 71 Red-backed Shrike, 58 Red-legged Partridge, 70 Redpoll, 26 Red-shank, 39 Redstart, 28 " Black, 62 Redwing, 40 Ringdove, 26 Ring Ouzel, 59 Robin, 26 Rock Dove, 69 " Pipit, 65 Rook, 24 Ruff, 41

Sanderling, 70 Sand Martin, 39 Sandpiper, Common, 41 Scoter, 64 Seagull, Common, 30 Shag, 74 Shearwater, Manx, 83 Shieldrake, 40 Shore Lark, 67 Shoveller, 42 Shrike, Red-backed, 58 Siskin, 27 Skua, Common, 38 " Richardson's, 88 Skylark, 37 Smew, 65 Snipe, Common, 50 " Jack, 57 Sparrowhawk, 45 Sparrow, Hedge, 52 " House, 25 " Tree, 63 Spoonbill, 54 Spotted Fly-catcher, 62 Starling, 22 Stint, Little, 39 Stock Dove, 61 Stone-chat, 34 Storm Petrel, 34 Swallow, 44 Swan, Mute, 74 Swift, 50

Teal, 29 Tern, Sandwich, 71 Tern, Arctic, 72 " Common, 72 " Lesser, 72 " Roseate, 82 Thrush, Common, 28 " Missel, 53 Tit, Blue, 46 " Bearded, 82 " Cole, 68 " Great, 29 " Long-tailed, 70 " March, 69 " Crested, 74 Tree Pipit, 36 " Sparrow, 63 Turtle Dove, 66 Twite, 87