iiinrisn birds' nests. 1(»i 



brown on the other parts. The forehead and rump 

 are bright goklen-green. Wing-quills dusky, some 

 of them bordered with yellow and others wdth 

 grey on the outer webs. Tail feathers dusky, 

 those m the middle uniform, the rest bordered 

 with yellow on their exterior webs. Chin, throat, 

 and breast, bright yellowdsh-green ; belly lighter 

 and mixed wdth ash-grey; vent and under-tail- 

 coverts white, tinged wdtli pale yellow. Legs, toes, 

 and claws light pinkish-brown. 



The female is somewhat smaller, and her upper 

 parts are greenish-brown, tinged only wdtli yellow 

 on the wing-coverts, rumj), and wdng and tail quills ; 

 but this is of a duller character than that found on 

 the feathers of the male. Under parts dull greyish- 

 browm, inclining to greenish-yellow on the belly. 



Situation and Locality. — In thick, wdiitethorn 

 hedges, gorse bushes, yew^-trees, ivy, holly, and 

 other evergreens ; in shrubberies, orchards, on 

 commons, and almost anywhere in suitably-wooded 

 districts. Our illustration is from a photograph of 

 one out of four, situated within a few yards of each 

 other in a thick hedge dividing an orchard from a 

 Surrey common. It is met wdth in suitable localities 

 throughout the United Kingdom. 



Materials. — Slender twigs, rootlets, moss, and 

 grass, lined internally wdth hair and feathers. 



Eggs. — Four to six, wdiite, pale grey, or white 

 tinged with blue, in ground colour, sparingly spotted 

 with varying shades of brown, from greyish to 

 dark liver-coloured. The spots and markings are 

 generally most numerous at the larger end. 

 Specimens have sometimes been found pure w^hite 

 and unmarked. They are often very difficult to 

 distinguish from the eggs of the Goldfinch. Size 

 about "82 by "SO in. 



