96 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



each feather being broadly margined with lighter 

 grey, the outer front portion pale bluish-grey, the 

 rest dark leaden-grey ; lower portion of the back 

 and rump light bluish-grey ; upper tail-coverts 

 white ; tail-quills white on the inside webs and 

 greyish-brown on the outer, and tipped with white ; 

 chin, throat, and breast light grey ; belly, vent, 

 under tail-coverts, and under side of tail-quills, 

 wdiite. Sides, flanks, and thighs barred with two 

 shades of grey ; legs, toes, and webs flesh colour ; 

 claws black. 



The female is smaller in size than the male. 



Situation and Locality. — On the ground amongst 

 tall rank grass, heather, rushes or osiers in lonely 

 swamps and moorland bogs of Ross, Sutherland, 

 Caithness, and the outer and inner Hebrides ; also 

 in a semi-domesticated state at Castle Coole, in 

 Ireland, wdiere the birds are only subject to a limited 

 local movement. Our illustration was procured 

 on a small island in a fresh-water loch in the 

 Outer Hebrides. 



Materials. — Heather, dried flags, rushes, leaves, 

 and grass in large quantities, with an inner lining of 

 feathers and down from the breast of the female. 



Eggs. — Five to nine, sometimes twelve to four- 

 teen ; but all the best authorities have had to 

 accept the latter numbers on hearsay. Dull 

 yellowish, or creamy-white, wdth a very slight 

 suggestion of green. Morris says the}' are smooth 

 and shining, but Mr. Dixon and Messrs. Sharpe and 

 Dresser say they are dull and without polish ; and 

 the statements of the latter authorities are, of course, 

 borne out by specimens in collections. Size about 

 34 by 2-3o in. 



Tiiue. — March, April, and May. 



BeniarJis. — Resident, but subject to much local 



