BY THE LOCH-SIDE 163 



moving, in their lively way among the bushes by 

 the lake-side. 



Both are equally beautiful, indeed all our 

 buntings are, except the corn-bunting, which is 

 the clumsiest of our small birds. Here the brush 

 has been run over a different part, The yellow 

 head of the one is changed to black in the other. 



If the bright tail has anything to do with the 

 guidance of the young, both sexes will possess it, as 

 the female must need it more than the male ; and 

 this is the case alike with the white of the wheatear, 

 and the red of the redstart. 



If the conspicuous head is an adornment which 

 would be unsafe in the sitting bird, only the male 

 should have it. And the black, and yellow are 

 confined to the male buntings. 



These things, though not conclusive, seem to 

 point in a certain direction. 



A merlin, on the ground ahead, allowed me to 

 come within a few yards. When, at length, he rose, 

 he seemed to be attached to an object larger than 

 himself, and much too heavy to carry beyond a short 

 distance. As often as I approached, he retreated ; 

 never succeeding in rising above a foot, or lifting 

 his burden free from the ground. Under the 

 impression that he was trapped, I hurried forward. 



