204 



BRITISH BIRDS. 



[vol. xm. 



Extracts from my diary will give all the information I was 



able to pick up. 



June yth, 1919. — Started to look around for the Merlins at " A." 

 No signs of the birds, but I climbed to the top of several dunes, and 

 after six attempts struck the right one, the female dashing off as I 

 touched the long grass at the summit. The nest, as usual, was well 

 made and screened by the long grass growing all around it. It was 



merlin's nest and five eggs at " A." May 21st, 1916. 

 {Photographed by C. C. S. Ingram.) 



entirely composed of dead grass, lined with pieces of the same, chopped 

 up small, and contained four eggs, and a feather from the tail of the 

 female. 



June 8th and 9th. — Searched unsuccessfully at " B " for the nest of 

 the second pair on both days. 



June 13th. — Visited the nest at " A " again, and found two young 

 and one egg in it and one egg lying outside. On picking the latter up 

 I found it was empty. There was a small hole in the shell through 

 which the contents had escaped. 



June 14th. — Made my third attempt to find the nest at " B, " search- 



