i82 ENGLISH BIRD LIFE 



terlaced is first set up, and upon this a tiny cup 

 of root fibres is woven, the fibres being of consider- 

 able length and cunningly wound round and round. 

 The eggs, four to six in number, are streaked and 

 spotted with reddish-brown upon a bluish-w-hite 

 ground. The nest is placed near the extremity of 

 some leafy branch, often of an evergreen, the yew 

 and box being favourite trees. Indeed, the sitting 

 hen has so strong a preference for dense foliage, 

 that if a single holly spray be found growing in a 

 hawthorn hedge, she will constantly select this for 

 the hiding of her nest. 



In northern and eastern Europe, a larger and more 

 brilliantly coloured race of Bullfinches exists, and 

 as these have been known to occur in England, they 

 are included by Lord Lilford in the British list 

 under the title of the Northern Bullfinch. 



Although in winter they wander further afield 

 than any of the preceding species, the Greenfinch 

 and the Chaffinch mav both be properly accounted 

 birds of the woodlands. The Greenfinch is not 

 commonly regarded as a distinguished songster, 

 his spring notes consisting mainly of a pleasant but 

 somewhat monotonous " teem-teem-teem," uttered 

 from the highest branches of some leafy tree. 

 Wordsworth, however, in greeting again the birds 

 and flowers of a returning summer, addresses him 

 in terms of the warmest eulogy. 



" One I have marked, the happiest guest 

 In all this covert of the blest ; 

 Hail to thee, far above the rest 

 In joy of voice and pinion. 



