282 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



Wings brownish-black, the feathers being edged 

 with light brown ; tail dark brown, the two 

 outer feathers on either side margined with 

 white, the rest with light brown ; chin and 

 throat dull white ; sides of neck and breast 

 pale buffish- white or yellowish-brown, with numer- 

 ous elongated dusky spots ; belly and under tail- 

 coverts dull white, tinged with brown. Legs and toes 

 light brown ; claws dusky, hind one long and 

 curved. 



The female is said to be slightly smaller, thoiigh 

 the difference is not at all apparent ; her plumage 

 is similar. 



Situation and Locality. On the ground in the 

 shelter of a tuft of grass, heather, bit of overhanging 

 bank or stone. I have on several occasions seen 

 nests in holes in banks and amongst rocks. The 

 bird breeds commonly throughout the British Isles, 

 but most numerously in pasture land and moorland 

 districts, where it is more often victimised by the 

 Cuckoo than any other British bird. 



Materials. Bents, bits of fine dead grass and 

 horsehair. 



Eggs. Four to six, generally five ; French grey, 

 sometimes tinged with pale bluish-green, thickly 

 covered with light or dusky-brown. The markings 

 are generally so thickly distributed as to hide the 

 ground-colour ; indeed, I have met with speci- 

 mens where none of it could be seen. Occasionally 

 eggs may be found marked with hair-lines of dusky- 

 black at the larger end. Size about .8 by .58 in. 

 Distinguished by small size and brown appearance. 

 (See Plate II.) 



Time. April, May, June, and occasionally as 

 late as July. 



