240 EGGS OF BEITISH BIRDS. 



blue in ground-colour. The markings are usually almost confined 

 to the larger end, and consist of purplish-brown spots, blotches, 

 and more rarely streaks, with underlying spots of pinkish-brown. 

 As a rule, there are as many underlying markings as surface ones, 

 but in some eggs the former predominate. They vary in length 

 from 0"9 to 072 inch, and in breadth from 0'62 to 0"53 inch. The 

 eggs of the Greenfinch very closely resemble those of the Gold- 

 finch and Linnet, and small specimens are indistinguishable from 

 large eggs of the two latter species. They also resemble those of 

 the Crossbill so closely that it is almost impossible to distinguish 

 them ; but, as a rule, they are perhaps smaller in size. 



THE CANAEY. 

 {Fringilla canaria.) 



There can be little doubt that the Canary is an accidental visitor 

 to the British Islands. It is abundant on most of the Canary 

 Islands, on Madeira, and throughout the Azores. 



It is a somewhat early breeder, commencing nest-building in 

 the latter part of March. The nesting-site is usually selected in 

 some evergreen tree or shrub, placed at a considerable height 

 from the ground, and is seldom below eight feet. A nest of this 

 bird found by Dr. Bolle was built in the fork of a box-tree about 

 twelve feet high, growing out of a myrtle hedge. This nest was 

 described by him as being broad at the base, narrow at the top, 

 and very neatly built of snow-white cotton-plant mixed with a 

 few dry grass-stems. 



The eggs are four or five in number, bluish-green in ground- 

 colour, spotted and speckled with reddish-brown ; they measure 

 about - 8 inch in length, and about 0"55 inch in breadth. 



THE SEBIN FINCH. 



{Fringilla serinus . ) * 



Plate 56, Fig. 16. 



The evidence in support of the opinion that the Serin is an 

 accidental visitor to our shores rests on no better foundation than 



* Serinus hostulanus — Saunders, Manual, p. 169. Serinus serinus — Sharpe, 

 Handb., I., p. 53. 



