178 THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



sight of its nest. This is a most beautiful little 

 structure, constructed in a crevice of the rocks or 

 under the stones. It is composed of twigs and 

 roots, moss and grass, and lined with hair and 

 feathers. The eggs, six in number, do not ex- 

 hibit the usual Bunting streaks and scratches, 

 but are bluish or yellowish white, spotted and 

 blotched with rich dark brown, paler brown, and 

 gray. In the breeding season the male Snow 

 Bunting utters a pleasing little song, either when 

 sitting on the rocks or hovering in the air. The 

 call-note is very similar to the peezh of the Green- 

 finch. This bird in summer at its breeding 

 grounds is readily identified by its strongly con- 

 trasted black and white plumage. It might also 

 be remarked that the Snow Bunting is the only 

 small Passerine bird that has its summer haunts 

 in our islands so far above the level of the sea. 



Whilst studying bird life high up on the breezy 

 summits, our reverie is sometimes disturbed by 

 the croaking of the Raven prowling along the 

 hillsides in quest of plunder ; but this bird has its 

 usual haunts lower down the hills, and we shall 

 meet with it in other rambles under more favour- 

 able circumstances for studying its ways (see 

 p. 210). 



What imbues the mountains with their greatest 

 charm, from an ornithological point of view, is 

 that they are the dwelling-place the last refuge 

 and stronghold of the noblest of our Birds of Prey. 

 Driven from the lowlands by spreading civilisation, 

 and the transformation of the forests into farms, 

 these last large remnants of our ancient avifauna 

 have retired to the hilltops and the mountain 



