22 THE NESTS AND EGGS OF 



Here, however, the bird appears to show partiahty for 

 certain haunts. Its favourite nesting places are the 

 swampy grounds and marshes studded with hassocks of 

 grass and flowers which afford dry accommodation for its 

 home, and reheved here and there with stunted willows 

 and birches, which afford the bird a resting-place. 

 The Lapland Bunting pairs annually, and the males 

 arrive some little time before the females at the breeding 

 grounds. Upon the arrival of the latter but little time 

 is wasted before the duties of the year commence. The 

 birds are not gregarious during the breeding season, 

 but numbers of pairs may be found breeding within 

 a small area. The cock-birds are very musical during 

 the early days of the breeding period, warbling whilst 

 soaring in the air after the manner of a Pipit. The 

 nest is generally placed in a hollow in the side of one 

 of the grassy hummocks or tufts of herbage, and is 

 composed externally of dry grass, scraps of moss and 

 roots, and lined with finer grass and an abundance of 

 feathers. The female is a rather close sitter, often be- 

 traying the nest by flying up at the observer's feet, and 

 when disturbed evinces considerable anxiety, especially 

 if the eggs be much incubated. 



Range of egg colouration and measurement : 

 The eggs of the Lapland Bunting are from four to six in 

 number. They vary in ground colour from pale olive or 

 grayish-brown to chocolate or sienna-brown, blotched, 

 spotted, and streaked with brown of various shades. 

 Although subject to considerable variety, the eggs in 

 each clutch are pretty uniform amongst themselves. 

 Most of the larger markings are pale and underlying 

 ones, the surface spots being much less numerous, darker 

 and richer, and often taking the form of streaks and hair- 

 like lines intermingled with blotches. Average measure- 

 ment, -82 inch in length, by "6 inch in breadth. Incuba- 



