70 THE BIRDS OF THE BRITISH ISLES. 



low-growing plants or in a bush (Plate 29) ; several are at 

 times near together. Grasses, a few twigs, mosses and wool 

 are the usual materials, and the very small cup is lined with 

 wool, hair or down, with the addition of a few feathers. The 

 eggs are smaller and bluer than those of the Linnet, but are of 

 the same general tj'pe (Plate 34). Five to six is the number ; 

 they are laid late in May or in June, but a second brood is 

 normal. 



The general plumage of the male in summer is pale reddish 

 brown, shading to white on the belly and under tail-coverts. 

 Dark brown centres to the feathers are arranged so as to give 

 the bird a striped or streaky appearance. The brown wings 

 are crossed by a white wing bar and some of the feathers have 

 white margins, very noticeable in flight, though less so than in 

 the Linnet. The bill is pale yellow, the legs aiM irides are 

 brown. After the autumn moult the plumage is dulled by pale 

 edgings to the feathers, but these wear off in spring, leaving the 

 summer dress exposed ; the wing bars are buff as on the plate. 

 The bill is at this season less yellow. The female and young 

 lack the rose-red rump, and have the wing bar buff. The young 

 is a duller, greyer bird, but otherwise like the female. Length, 

 5'5 ins. Wing, 3 ins. Tarsus, '65 in. 



Bullfinch. Pyrrhula pyrrhula (Linn.). 



The Pal^earctic Bullfinches are subdivided, our bird P. p. 

 pileata Macgillivray, being an insular non-migratory resident. 

 The Northern ^\A\^nz\\, P . p.pyn-Jiula (Linn.), distinguished by 

 its greater size and more brilUant colours, has been recorded, 

 usually as P. major Brehm, as a not infrequent visitor in 

 autumn and winter. This form, which breeds in northern 

 Europe and Asia and is migratory, is a common cage bird ; 

 thus som.e of the birds may have escaped from captivity, but 



