FINCHES 177 



wise in their powerful feet, hanging back-down- 

 wards, and extending the body in any direction to 

 reach with the bill some desired spray; cutting the 

 cones from their setting and holding them upon the 

 branch, where they may be torn open and the seeds 

 extracted; throwing themselves, indeed, into every 

 variety of attitude as they feed happily together, 

 their variegated colours clearly contrasting with the 

 dark green tones of the fir plumes. 



In a little while they flit forward over the tree 

 tops, and the " zip-zip-zip " falls more faintly on the 

 ear. Now it ceases altogether as the little party of 

 nomads travel on, moving from forest to forest and, 

 save in the brief nesting season, knowing no settled 

 home. 



The Crossbill breeds early, usually in February 

 or March. The nest is placed on the horizontal 

 branch of a fir or other tree close to the stem, and 

 is formed of moss, dry grass and lichen set on a 

 base of twigs. The eggs are four in number, and 

 are of a bluish-white, sparsely spotted with 

 brownish-red. 



In addition to the common Crossbill, three other 

 species, the Parrot, Two-barred and White-winged, 

 are recognized as British. These are, however, of 

 the rarest occurrence. 



Of the Finches w'hich cling to the woodlands at 

 all seasons of the year, and which never join the 

 w^andering flocks which in winter seek their food 

 in bare fields and treeless places, the Bullfinch is 

 one of the more consistent. It is a rare thing to 

 meet him at any considerable distance from his 

 12 



