WITH THE BIRDS IN WALES 201 



the Bottle Tit's nest by the river : some of the eggs 

 are broken. This morning a pair of House Sparrows 

 made a determined onslaught on the Martins undeV 

 my eaves, and in the evening I found that the former 

 had taken possession. 



June gth. — Started once more for the Golden 

 Plover's haunt. On the way, whilst jumping a small 

 stream, I flushed a bird from her nest in the rocky 

 bank, which proved on closer examination to be a 

 Rock Pipit. I make this statement with all confidence, 

 for I had a close view of both birds, and they had the 

 outermost tail-feathers edged with smoky brown, a 

 sure characteristic of this species. Further, I heard 

 the male's song. I know that this statement will be 

 questioned by most present-day ornithologists, but 

 others have seen Pipits on the Welsh hills which 

 they thought at first were Water Pipits, but after- 

 wards came to the conclusion were Rock Pipits. 

 I myself have seen Pipits from time to time on 

 these hills, which puzzled me not a little, but I think 

 that the mystery is now explained. The eggs in 

 this nest, five in number, were considerably larger 

 than Tree Pipits, and were of a brownish white 

 ground colour, freckled, streaked, and marbled with 

 several shades of reddish olive, some of the darker 

 streaks being almost black. 



In the Plover's haunt 1 again flushed a couple of 

 cock Grouse, but could not find their hens or the 

 Plover's nest. By this time these latter birds must 

 be sitting very hard — indeed, they may have young, 

 judging from their actions. 



Coming back through some thickish heather, a 



