BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 13 



far north of Scotland, in the Orkneys and Shetlands ; 

 but very few nests indeed have 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 be 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 '86 by -64 in. 



Time. May, June, and July. 



Remarks. 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. See YELLOW HAMMEE. 



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 yellow. 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. 



