184 THE BIRDS OF OUR RAMBLES. 



to the northern mountains. The migrations of 

 this species are ranked amongst the shortest of 

 any undertaken by our summer birds of passage, 

 very often not reaching beyond the northern 

 shores of the Mediterranean. On the other hand, 

 the Marsh Harrier is a bird of much longer flight, 

 extending its winter wanderings as far south as 

 the Transvaal. The first time I made the 

 acquaintance of the Hen Harrier, I was also 

 fortunate enough to find its nest. It was amongst 

 the mountains of Skye, just below the crests where 

 the blue hare lives, and in country frequented by 

 the Ptarmigan and the Eagle. The time was 

 late in May. I first met with him as he flew 

 along in a sauntering manner above the tall heather 

 which here grew breast-high. Day by day I 

 used to visit him and his mate, and from their re- 

 luctance to leave the spot, I concluded their home 

 was either already made or about to be among the 

 heath. At last, after diligent search, I was re- 

 warded, and in the thickest part of the cover 

 came across a wide flat nest of heather-stems 

 lined with a few grass-bents. It contained two 

 eggs, and two more were eventually laid during 

 the succeeding days, when the hen began to sit. 

 These eggs are pale bluish green without mark- 

 ings. Nests of this bird are sometimes destroyed 

 by sheep walking over them. I also had the good 

 fortune to meet with this bird in its winter haunts, 

 where its habits and movements are much the 

 same as on our British hills. The Hen Harrier 

 feeds on small birds, mice, and frogs, and like 

 most of the smaller Raptores it catches coleopterous 

 insects. I might just call attention to the fact that 

 the female of this species is slightly larger than 



