SOME BIRDS OF THE AIR AND OPEN SPACES 195 
wings; it then suddenly descends, uttering a chuckling sound as it 
drops. Food: insects of various kinds. The plumage of the male 
during the breeding-season is much darker; the female is considerably 
smaller than the male. 
nest. A cup-shaped structure, composed of dried grasses; lined with 
softer materials. Built in a depression in the ground, and usually 
placed near a tuft of grass or a low shrub. 
eggs. Three or four, salmon-pink, marked all over with pinkish- 
red markings, with a well-defined zone at the larger end. Breeding- 
season: September to December, January, or February. 
