234 WOODLANDERS AND FIELD FOLK 



During its spring and summer migrations the 

 osprey is fond of resting for a time by the mountain 

 tarns, and scarcely a year passes but that one or 

 more of these birds may be seen fishing for the trout 

 that abound in most of the meres. When the fish 

 are seen swimming near the surface the osprey 

 dashes down into the water, raising a jet of 

 spray, and usually ascends with a fish in its talons. 

 This is firmly held by the wondrously-adapted 

 feet, and is eaten at some little distance among the 

 rocks. 



Upon the shoulders of the mountains a few pairs of 

 merlins nest annually, preying for the most part on 

 larks, pipits, wheat-ears and young ouzels in autumn. 

 These little falcons, the arabs of the air of these wilds, 

 hunt in consort and maraud through the whole dis- 

 trict. In summer their bright red eggs are laid in a 

 depression among the heather, and near the nest are 

 usually found the remains of various mountain birds. 

 A bird which constitutes part of the merlin's prey 

 is the twite, or mountain linnet. This is a species 

 characteristic of the fells, resembling a linnet, but 

 having a long forked tail. Its bent-built nest is 

 found on broken heathery ground, and always in 

 elevated situations. It descends to the lowlands 

 at the approach of winter. This species is another 

 of the " ling birds " of the fell folk. It is one which 

 is gradually diminishing in the north, for whilst it 



