168 
THE BIRDS OF HAMPSHIRE. 
though fired at more than once did not desert. The 
female, however, was first shot, when the cock, nothing- 
daunted, took his partner's place, and sat on the eggs, and 
a day or two afterwards shared her fate. In the nest were 
two eggs, which, with the exception before mentioned, 
1 have never known exceeded. Those in my collection 
vary in colouring from the light dull vermilion, which so 
often characterizes the merlin's eggs, to a deep rich marone, 
tinted, especially in newly-taken specimens, with a delicate 
crimson bloom." 
The weights of two fresh-laid eggs, taken June i6th, 
from a nest in a low fork of an oak tree in Anses Wood 
were respectively i oz. 3 dr. i scr. 5 grs. and i oz. 2 drs. 
2 scr. 10 grs. And two, very much addled and hard set, 
from a nest which had been deserted, taken on June 24th, 
in Ravensnest Wood, near Brook, in the higher branches of 
a tall beech, overhanging the road, weighed i oz. 4 dr. 
O scr. 10 grs. and i oz. 3 dr. 2 scr. 10 grs. 
" The birds are not much seen in the day, but generally 
early in the morning. Whilst the hen bird sits on the 
eggs, the cock perches close by in some tall thick tree. 
Perhaps from this very affection for their young arises their 
seeming stupidity, and the ease with which they are killed. 
Some years ago a keeper found a nest with two young birds 
in Bentley Wood, and on purpose to secure them tied them 
by their legs to a small tree, where the old birds regularly 
came and fed them. But the strangest fact with regard to 
their breeding is that before they finally decide upon a nest 
they will line several with green leaves and small leafy 
twigs. Lastly I may add that though I have examined 
many nests, I have never found any traces of their being, 
as is related by some writers, lined with wool. If there 
was any wool it was probably placed there by the bird 
which had previously inhabited the nest." 
