56 British Birds, 



uniform tint of the ground colour by the addition of 

 a few reddish-coloured spots or speckles. Its dis- 

 tinctive English name — //"^/^-Harrier, seems to be due 

 to the fact, that, like the sick and repentant old Fox, 

 it appears often to consider " a chicken might suit me 

 too," and acts accordingly. But, from its habits of 

 regularly working over stubbles and other haunts of 

 the Partridge and other like birds, there is little doubt 

 that it varies its diet with a little game occasionally. 



MONTAGU'S HARRIER— (aVr//^ cineraceus). 



Ash-coloured Harrier. — This bird, for which Yarrell 

 proposed the name assigned, is by no means of frequent 

 occurrence in this country, and is scarcely likely to 

 be met with by many of our young readers. The 

 nest, like those of the other two species of Circus just 

 named, is usually on the ground, often not far from 

 gorse or whin-bushes ; and the eggs, four or five in 

 number, are like those of its congeners in general 

 colour and appearance. With this bird our list of 

 Falconidae closes. 



FAMILY in.— STRIGID^. 



When I was a boy I remember — only those goings- 

 back to school were a sad hindrance — trying or help- 

 ing to make a collection not of birds' eggs exactly, 

 but of birds' "merry-thoughts." Did our young 

 readers ever see such a collection, or think of it ? 

 Perhaps the answer will be " No ; — and if we had, 

 what would it have to do with a book about birds' 

 eggs ? " I will try and show that I have a purpose 



