BEITISH HILiDS' XESTS. 13 



far north of Scotland, in the Orkneys and Shetlands ; 

 hut very few nests mdeed liave ever been found. 



Materials. — Dead grass and roots, with an inner 

 lining of finer grass, hair, wool, and feathers where 

 procurable. The same nest is said to he used more 

 than once. 



Eggs. — Four to eight, more often four to six ; 

 ground colour greenish or bluish-white, sometimes 

 greyish-white, pale bluish-grey, or pale greenish- 

 blue, spotted, splashed, and streaked with deep 

 brownish-red, and a few spots and streaks of a 

 darker tint on the top of these ; occasionally under- 

 lying markings of pale grey or yellowish-brown. 

 Size about -80 by '64: in. 



Time. — May, June, and July. 



Bemarlxs. — A winter visitor, a few pairs resident. 

 Notes, sweet and tinkling. Local names : Snow 

 Flake, Snow Fleck, Snow Fowl, Tawny Bunting, 

 Greater Brambling, Lesser Mountain Finch, Great 

 Pied Mountain Finch, Brambling (a name belonging 

 to another bird altogether). Said to be a close sitter. 



BUNTING, YELLOW. Hee Yellow Hammer. 



BUZZARD, COMMON. 



Description of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 twenty-two inches. Beak short, much curved, 

 strong, and blue-black in colour. Bare skin round 

 the base of the beak yehow. Irides yellow. Crown, 

 nape, back wing-coverts, and upper side of tail- 

 quills clove or ferruginous brown, with large longi- 

 tudinal spots and dashes ; the tail being barred with 

 black and ash-colour, and at the end dusky white. 



