56 



The Hawkeye Oknithologist and Oologist. 



heather grows in place of grass, re- 

 lieved here and there with stretches 

 Of bracken, gray rocks and boulders. 

 A lapwing rises some distance in 

 front, and marking down the spot, 

 we soon stand gazing upon its nest 

 and four eggs with their points in- 

 ward, meeting in the center, after 

 the fashion of all plover's eggs. The 

 nest is simply a slight hollow in the 

 ground, lined with bits of grass. The 

 eggs have a dark olive ground, abun- 

 dantly blotched with brown and 

 black; average size 2.00x1.50. These 

 eggs are much sought after as delica- 

 cies for the table; and are offered for 

 sale in the markets at three pence 

 and four pence each. We look 

 around and soon find several more 

 nests and eggs; and in less than 

 twenty minutes we have taken some 

 two dozen eggs, and as we don't wish 

 to carry them along with us, we hide 

 them beneath a rock from carrion 

 crows until we return. 



Jumping over a little brook, a 

 snipe darts away from a tuft of grass. 

 In the center are snugly laid four 

 richly marked eggs of a greenish-ol- 

 ive hue, blotched and spotted with 

 two or three shades of brown. A 

 large series show the eggs to differ 

 much in ground color and markings. 

 This bird is numerous in Yorkshire; 

 I have found it breeding in all parts 

 of the county. 



Only two species of duck nest in the 

 moors, near the lagoons, the common 

 mallard and the teal. 



The mallard usually lays from seven 

 to twelve pale olive-green tinted eggs 

 in a nest of grass, lined with clown; 

 size about 3.25x1.60. 



The teal builds a nest of vegetable 

 substances, lined with down and 

 feathers. Six to twelve eggs are laid 

 of abuffy white; size, 1.75x1.25. 



The short-eared owl is found nest- 

 ing here; its nest is always on the 

 ground, a simple structure of sticks, 



grass and heather, upon which it lays 

 four or Ave white elliptical eggs, av- 

 eraging in size 1.55x1.25. 



Three other species of owls nest in 

 this district: the barn owl, the tawny 

 owl and the long-eared owl. 



The latter generally selects some 

 old crow or magpie's nest; and lays 

 from four to six eggs, not so round as 

 those of the short-eared species. 



Tramping over the moors for a 

 mile or so, a bird rises from the hill- 

 side before us and dashes away at a 

 great rate. Marking down the spot, 

 we find a stone surrounded by bird's 

 feathers and insects' wings, and pick 

 up a titlark which is still warm. This 

 is the shambles of a merlin hawk 

 who was just going to dine off the 

 titlark when we disturbed him. We 

 set about to look around for its nest, 

 when my brother cried out "Here it 

 is with four splendid eggs." In afew 

 seconds I was there, gazing on the 

 treasures with delight and admira- 

 tion. The nest was a mixed mass of 

 twigs, heather and brakens, raised a 

 few inches high; and the four eggs 

 resting in a slight hollow in the cen- 

 ter. Their ground color was a dark, 

 crimson brown, speckled all over 

 with dark brown and black. Some 

 varieties resemble eggs of the kestril 

 hawk, but a series of fifty eggs be- 

 fore me do not show such varieties in 

 color as the eggs of the kestril do. 

 As a rule, they are smaller than the 

 kestril's eggs and not so round, nor 

 so boldly marked. We blow the eggs 

 and pack them away with care, and 

 proceed farther on. 



[TO BE CONTINUED.] 



For The Hawkeye O. and O. 



NOTES ON SOME OF THE PASS- 

 ERES OF FULTON CO., KY. 



THIRD PAPER, BY L. O, PINDAR, PRES. 

 " Y. O. A., HICKMAN, KY. 



Following the family Corvidoe, 



