360 COCCOTHRAUSTES ATROGULARIS. 



periods of the year. He further states that it has bred for 

 some years past in the grounds of Lord Clifden, at Rochamp- 

 ton, where a nest with four young ones w^as taken in the sum- 

 mer of 1834. It was built at the extremity of a horse-chestnut, 

 near the lodge, and was composed chiefly of twigs of the privet 

 and birch, and lined with hair and fine grass. 



The history of this bird has recently received much elucida- 

 tion from Mr. Doubleday, who has published, in the fifth num- 

 ber of the Magazine of Zoology and Botany, some very inter- 

 esting notes respecting its habits as observed in the vicinity of 

 Epping Forest. He states that they are there permanent resi- 

 dents, and very abundant, although so extremely shy that it 

 is almost impossible to approach them within gunshot. " Their 

 principal food appears to be the seed of the Hornbeam, w^hich 

 is the prevailing species of tree in the forest ; but they also 

 feed on the kernels of the haws, plum-stones, laurel-berries, 

 &c., and in summer make great havock amongst green peas in 

 gardens. About the middle of April they pair, and in a wxek 

 or two commence nidification. The situation of the nest is 

 various, but it is most commonly placed in an old scrubby 

 wdiitethorn bush, often in a very exposed situation. They 

 also frequently build on the horizontal arms of large oaks, the 

 heads of pollard hornbeams, in hollies, and occasionally in fir 

 trees in plantations, the elevation of the nest varying from five 

 to twenty-five or thirty feet. The most correct description of 

 the nest which I have seen is in Latham's Spiopsis. It is 

 there said to be composed of the dead tw4gs of oak, honey- 

 suckle, &c., intermixed with pieces of grey lichen. The 

 quantity of this last material varies much in different nests, 

 but it is never absent. In some, it is only very sparingly 

 placed among the twigs ; in others, the greater part of the 

 nest is composed of it. The lining consists of fine roots and 

 a little hair. The whole fabric is very loosely put together, 

 and it requires considerable care to remove it from its situation 

 uninjured. The eggs vary in number from four to six, and 

 are of a pale olive green, spotted with black, and irregularly 

 streaked with dusky. Some specimens are far less marked than 

 others, and I have seen some of a uniform pale green. The 



