116 Pictures of Bird Life 



a class witli many otliers very ])()|)uhir a few years ago, 

 which get rc})cated over and ()^'er ao-aiii as gospel — 

 *• Anecdotes of Natural History," whicli should l)e taken, 

 most of them, c//>// ^luuio saiis. 



The Tree-s])arrow is common, building a mucli neater 

 nest in holes in apple-, willow-, and other trees. Its smaller, 

 rounder, and browner eggs may be easily distinguished from 

 those of the commoner species. The ])ird itself is some- 

 what of a handsome one. 



Patclies t)f furze-grown conuiion-land around are not of 

 great extent or Acry numerous. Wherever they exist there 

 are plenty of Linnets ; l)ut these birds are not found in any 

 abundance away from tlieir favourite liaunts, tliough tliey 

 do nest sometimes in tlie hedges. In tlie autumn tliey 

 flock to tlie thistles in company witli (Toldlinches. 



The I^esser Redpole, with the Hramblefinch. is oidy known 

 as a winter visitor, wlien flocks of these sprightly, acti^'e, 

 restless little ])irds wander soutliwards. 



The Bullflnch is al)undantly found, tliough it is more 

 in evidence in the autumn and winter. In the nesting 

 season it keeps \ery (piiet, and chooses the thickest hedges 

 and the most retired places in the woods, and shuns notice 

 as much as possible. In walking along the bare hedges in 

 winter, i^reat numbers of their nests may be seen, which 

 have escaped obser\'ation during the leafy months of summer. 



The Corn-l)unting is scarce, the reason probably being, 

 as Saunders remarks in his " Manual of British Birds," 

 that ''it is principally to be found where grain of some 



