140 THE BOOK OF MIGRATORY BIRDS 



The bird is only an occasional visitant to the British 

 Isles, and that even of rare occurrence, except in some of 

 the southern and midland counties of England. Towards 

 the north and on the confines of the border, it becomes 

 less frequent; in the South of Scotland it is a rare bird, 

 a few instances only of its capture having been noted, 

 neither have any instances of its breeding in this country 

 ever been recorded. 



The eggs are from five to seven in number, they are of 

 a blueish or greyish white, spotted and blotched over with 

 brown or purplish grey. 



