MONTAGU’S HARRIER IN SURREY. 311 
The bird usually returned in about thirty or forty minutes, and 
if no danger was apparent would drop straight down to the nest. 
Occasionally she would bring back a twig or something similar 
in her bill, which was added to the nest, and by the end of the 
third week the structure was noticed to be considerably deeper 
and larger in size. 
The male generally put in an appearance ‘about midday, when 
he would fly overhead and call to the female by means of a single 
note, which he repeated at intervals of about half a minute, until 
she left the nest and joined him. Sometimes he brought her 
food, which she took from him in mid-air. By its small size 
this probably consisted entirely of mice, and was certainly not 
chicken, pheasant, partridge, or rabbit, unless indeed these were 
brought in very small pieces. The two birds would frequently 
go away together. 
In the evening, about seven o'clock, the male occasionally 
paid a second visit to the nest, but at these times he never 
remained long. Early in July his visits became much more 
frequent, but on the 7th he disappeared for several days. About 
this time the female grew very restless, and was repeatedly 
on and off the nest. On the 11th she left her eggs at nine a.m., 
and, after flying round for a short while, was not seen again 
until eight p.m., by which time, of course, the eggs were stone- 
cold. Both birds were observed in the vicinity of the nest at 
eight next morning, but soon after this they disappeared and 
were not seen again. 
