4 OUR RARER BRITISH BREEDING BIRDS. 



the Western Isles can be beaten, and I have knocked 

 about both parts freely in search of materials for 

 my books. 



The Corn Bunting makes its nest, on or very 

 near the ground, amongst growing corn, coarse 

 grass, clover, peas, on banks, in a low bush, at 

 the foot of a hedge, and in other similar situations. 

 It is built with coarse hay or grass stems, straw, 

 and lined with fibrous roots, fine grass, and occa- 

 sionally hair. Our illustration was secured in the 

 south of Ireland. 



The eggs number from four to six, and their 

 ground colour varies from pale buff to dull pur- 

 plish-white, spotted, blotched, and streaked with 

 purplish-brown of varying intensity, and under- 

 lying markings of grey. Taking into considera- 

 tion their large size, situation of the nest, and the 

 ease with which their lazy, clumsy-looking owner 

 may be seen, there should be no difficulty about 

 identification. 



BUZZARD, COMMON. 



WHILST being far from common in the general 

 acceptance of the term, I do not think I should 

 be justified in describing this bird as rare, for I 

 have seen two pairs on the wing at once in 

 Wales, where my brother has photographed the 

 nests of several both in cliffs and trees. We have 

 also met with it breeding in the Hebrides and 

 several parts of the mainland of Scotland. When 

 on the Grampians last summer, I heard a story 

 of how our photographer, in descending a deep, 

 overhanging cliff without assistance from anyone 

 fco figure a Buzzard's nest and eggs a year or 



