^'°'.",M^'] ^'oK'i'ON. Domcslic Hahils of the Spottec/sided Finch. 229 



their luiK-tiuislu'd ucst as a roosting and sleeping place till about 

 midwinter, when the rigours of the winter in such an exposed 

 place, or tlic shortage of food, sent them away. They reappeared 

 in the spring, finished their old, half-built nest, and reared a family 

 of four. I noticed that the four young ones went on using the 

 old nest for a resting and sleeping place long after the parents 

 had beaten them off, and had begun a fresh nest, which they built 

 right against the old one, and raised a second brood of three. 

 During the cold months (which are very cold here) they all retire, 

 I think, to the more sheltered bush. At any rate, they all leave 

 the garden, but I can always find isolated pairs out in the bush 

 all through the winter. 



In 1917-18 quite a flock of Mnches took up their residence in 

 the garden. We have a belt of cypress and Pinus insignis trees 

 planted as a breakwind all along one side of the place, and I think 

 there was a Finch's nest in every tree. ■ At any rate, I knew of 

 twelve nests, each in a separate tree, besides two or three odd 

 ones in fruit trees and rose bushes. In the pines they always 

 built right in so deep among the boughs that I could never 

 observe the method cf their building. They were very shy, too, 

 and would never allow me to get within spying distance of their 

 operations ; but at last one day I was dehghted, whilst sitting at 

 an open window, sewing, to see a pair of " Diamondies " busily 

 exploring the mixed wistaria and rose creepers just outside. One 

 — which, I presumed, was the female — did all the investigating, 

 rustling about among the branches, twisting leaves and stems 

 here and there, and evidently seeking for a suitable site for her 

 nest. The male bird hopped about after her, evidently admiring 

 her efforts immensely, but doing nothing to assist ; putting his 

 httle head on one side and watching her, and occasionally giving 

 vent to the long-drawn, plaintive Httle note which seems common 

 to both sexes. For a long time the httle hen bustled about 

 among the wistaria leaves, pulUng them about and bouncing up 

 and down among them, but at last she seemed to decide they were 

 not an. ideal place, for she left them and bustled off to the rose 

 branches near, the httle male obediently and admiringly following 

 her as though she said, " Come on, my dear; let's try somewhere 

 else. This place is no good." After some more twistings and 

 turnings among the rose branches — all in full view of my delighted 

 eyes — she came out and joined her mate on a wire just above. 

 They had a consultation about things — sitting close side by side 

 and saying things in small twitters. Evidently she conveyed to 

 him that she had found the ideal spot at 'last. After a few 

 moments he flew away with a definite purpose in his eye, whilst 

 she returned to her chosen site and began busily twisting leaves 

 and twigs and bouncing up and down in the same energetic way 

 as before. Presently back came httle master with a long trailing 

 piece of seedy grass, and perched on a twig near her, holding it in 

 his little bilftill she was ready to take it. When she was read\- 

 she popped out of her arranged site, took the piece of grass with 



