176 SISKIN. 



the Caucasus ; while it is found on migration down to the Mediter- 

 ranean, and in winter sometimes visits Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. 

 Eastward it has been met with in Asia Minor, Northern Persia, and 

 across Siberia to Northern China and Japan, being a favourite cage 

 bird in the last country. In the Indian region, from Kashmir to 

 Western China, the representative species is C. spinoides. 



The Siskin generally produces two broods in the year, and St. 

 John found well-fledged young near Nairn as early as April 26th. 

 Firs of some kind or birches are the trees usually selected, and the 

 nest, while occasionally placed at the top against the main-stem, 

 is generally high up and at the end of a long lateral branch ; yet 

 sometimes it is built in gorse and other bushes. Fir twigs, fine roots 

 and green moss are the materials employed to form a tolerably neat 

 structure, which is lined with horsehair and a few feathers. The eggs, 

 usually 5 in number, are slightly smaller than those of the Goldfinch, 

 rather bluer in ground-colour, and speckled with dull lilac and 

 reddish-brown: measurements •65 by "47 in. Siskins not unfrequently 

 breed in captivity, but there is a difficulty in rearing the young, 

 as in the earlier stages they appear to require Aphides^ such as 

 infest the leaves and green shoots of the alder. Later in the year, 

 beechmast, and seeds of rag-weed and other plants are eaten. 

 The call-note is loud and clear, resembling the word zeisig, whence 

 the bird's German name ; the song is pretty and varied. 



The adult male has the crown, chin, and lores black : cheeks and 

 ear-coverts dusky-greenish ; above and behind each eye to the nape 

 runs a broad streak of yellow, which unites with the same colour on 

 the upper breast ; feathers of the mantle greenish-olive, with dusky 

 shaft-streaks ; rump yellow ; the central pair of tail-feathers dusky- 

 black, the others black near the tips, yellow at the bases and on the 

 inner webs ; wing-coverts black, tipped with yellow ; quills blackish, 

 with yellow margins and bases forming two irregular bars ; belly 

 white ; flanks yellowish, streaked with black ; bill pale brown : legs 

 dull brown. Length 4-6 ; wing 2-8 in. In autumn the colours are 

 duller, and there is hardly any black on the chin. The female 

 has dusky streaks on the crown, and very little yellow on the rump, 

 wings and tail ; the under parts are yellowish-white, with ash-brown 

 stripes. The young bird is still duller and greyer in appearance. 



An example of the North American Spiiius tristis is said to have 

 been taken on Achill Island in September (Zool. 1894, p. 396). 



