84 EGGS AND EGG-COLLECTING. 
LEACH’S FORK-TAILED PETREL. 
Tue St. Kilda group of islands forms the principal British 
breeding haunt of this bird, although colonies nest in the 
Hebrides and on the Blaskets off the Irish coast. The nest 
is situated at the end of a burrow made by the bird itself, 
or under rocks, and is composed of withered grass, moss, 
and lichens. Only one egg is laid, white in ground colour, 
with a belt of small brownish-red spots round the larger 
end. 
ry 
THE RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. 
A LITTLE withered grass or other herbage is used to line the 
depression selected by this bird for its nesting place, which 
is situated on the ground in grassy swamps and marshes, 
near water as a rule, in the North of Scotland and some of 
the islands lying to the west and north thereof. Four 
eggs are laid, varying in ground colour from olive to pale 
buff, spotted, speckled, and blotched with varying shades 
of dark brown and underlying specks of light grey. 
THE HOOPOE, 
AutHoucH this bird has bred in different parts of England, 
its chances of doing so now are somewhat remote, on 
account of the merciless persecution it suffers at the hands 
vf gunners. Its nest is situated in holes in trees, walls, or 
rocks, and is composed of bits of straws and dry grass. 
The eggs number from five to seven, and vary from light 
ereenish-blue to pale buff, with minute pitmarks over their 
surface. 
