BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 107 



brown, sometimes almost black; belly, sides, vent, 

 and under tail-coverts light reddish-brown, tipped 

 with white. Legs and toes covered with short soft 

 feathers of greyish- white ; claws long and horn 

 colour, dark at the base. 



The female is somewhat smaller and of a lighter 

 rufous-brown. The membrane over her eye is 

 narrower and less conspicuous. Both male and 

 female are subject to considerable variation in 

 plumage. I have seen some hens a beautiful golden 

 yellow, and both sexes often showing a consider- 

 able amount of white in their plumage. 



Situation and Locality. A slight hollow or 

 natural depression, generally well hidden by heather 

 or ling, occasionally amongst rushes or long coarse 

 grass on wild moors in Wales, Derbyshire, the six 

 northern counties of England, in every county of 

 Scotland, excepting perhaps one, and in suitable 

 parts of Ireland. Our illustration is from a photo- 

 graph taken in Westmoreland. 



Materials. A few heather or ling shoots, or 

 bits of bent grass. 



Eggs. Five to nine ; as many as thirteen to 

 fifteen have been found. Of a dirty white ground- 

 colour, thickly blotched and spotted with umber- 

 brown. Variable in regard to colour and markings, 

 but distinguished from those of the Ptarmigan by 

 being less buff in ground colour and more spotted. 

 Size about T75 by 1/25 in. 



Time. Eggs have been found as early as 

 February and as late as July ; but April, May, 

 and June are the principal breeding months. 



Remarks. Resident. Notes: female call, yow, 

 yow, yow, pronounced with a peculiar nasal catch ; 

 crow notes, cabow, cabow, cabecJc, cabecJc, beck, 

 becJc ; cocJcaivay, cockaway ; alarm note of male, 



