138 BRITISH BIRDS 



the primaries and the tail; the lesser wing coverts are 

 white deeply edged with black; the remaining wing feathers 

 are white lightly edged with black; the sides and rump 

 are light slate finely spotted with black ; the lower half 

 of the neck and the breast are brown with a number of 

 narrow black spots. The eye and the bill are dull orange. 

 It is a winter visitor, occurring rather in the northern than 

 the southern parts of these Islands, but some remain to 

 breed, especially in Scotland and the Scottish islands. 



THE MERLIN. See under Hawks. 



THE HOODED MEW. See Gull (Black-headed). 



THE MISSEL THRUSH. See under Thrushes. 



MONTAGU'S HARRIER. See under Harriers. 



THE MOOR BUZZARD. See Harrier (Marsh). 



THE MOORHEN. 



This is a member of the Rail Family. It is a native 

 bird, generally dispersed in the vicinity of water, on the 

 margins of which it finds its food. It is readily domesticated, 

 and will voluntarily become tame where it is not interfered 

 with, as in St. James's Park, where it breeds freely. The 

 bill and forehead are orange, but the tip of the former 

 is yellow; all the upper parts are black, and the lower grey, 



