AMONGST THE HEATHER AND GORSE. 19 



where the bird makes itself remarkably con- 

 spicuous by its noisy chatter and habit of perching 

 on some tall bush of heath or furze, where its 

 black and white plumage may be discerned from 

 afar. A Ring Ouzel will not unfrequently attend 

 an intruder for long distances, flitting ahead of 

 him for short distances and awaiting his approach, 

 then passing on again, all the time uttering noisy 

 cries and full of apparent irritation at the disturb- 

 ance. The nest (placed on or near the ground, 

 and sometimes on the side of a turf pit) and eggs 

 are too much like those of the more familiar 

 Blackbird to require detailed description here. 

 Upon the wetter parts of the moor the Meadow 

 Pipit is by no means uncommon, whilst in some 

 of the more extensive bogs and mires the Common 

 Snipe may be met with employed in domestic 

 duties ; but whether the Dunlin breeds regularly 

 in the district is by no means certain. Care, how- 

 ever, should be exercised in exploring these moor- 

 land bogs, for they are treacherous in the extreme, 

 and quake and tremble most uncomfortably as 

 they are walked over. The bright yellowish-green 

 patches should be specially avoided, or the unfor- 

 tunate enthusiast may sink into difficulties of a very 



