BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 125 



Highlands of Scotland ; also in suitable parts of 

 Ireland. 



Materials. — Small sticks, sprigs of heatlier, and 

 coarse grass ; in sparing quantities where the nest 

 is placed in a dry situation ; but when a low, damp 

 place is chosen, sticks, reeds, sedge, and flags are 

 said by some observers to be used in liberal 

 quantities. 



Eggs. — Four to five, occasionally six. White, 

 faintly tinged with blue or bluish-green ; on rare 

 occasions slightly marked with light rusty-red or 

 yellowish-brown. They vary in size, and closely 

 resemble those of the Marsh and Montagu Harriers. 

 Size about 1'75 by 145 in. 



Time. — ^May and June. 



Bema]-Jis. — Formerly resident, now probably only 

 migratory. It arrives in April or May, and departs 

 in September and October. Notes : tremulous and 

 Kestrel-like. Local and other names : male. Dove 

 Hawk, Blue Hawk, or Miller ; female, Eingtail ; 

 and in the Hebrides a Gaelic name signifying 

 Mouse Hawk. The sexual difference in plumage 

 was the cause of the birds being believed at one 

 time to represent different speces. Not a close 

 sitter. 



HARRIER, MARSH. 



Descyiption of Parent Birds. — Length about 

 twenty-one inches. Beak short, curved, and bluish- 

 black. Bare skin round the base of the beak, and 

 irides yellow. Crown, sides of head, and nape pale 

 rusty yellowish-white, streaked with darkish brown. 

 Back dark brown, tinged with red, the feathers being 



