CHAFFINCH. II7 



four or five nests every year in the orchard at Queen- 

 wood, and that in spite of a very disastrous season 

 two years ago, when nearly all the young birds were 

 massacred in their nests by some birds of prey. The 

 chief materials used in the construction of the nest 

 are moss, grass and lichens ; the interior is lined with 

 feathers and a few hairs. 



The eggs, four or five, are greenish white, spotted 

 with purplish brown and grey, and sometimes streaked 

 with brown. They very much resemble the Linnet's 

 eggs, but are as a rule smaller ; however, the nest 

 when seen at once settles any doubt. 



CHAFFINCH. 



FRINGILLA CALEBS. 



Family Passerid.^. Sub-family Fringillin^. Genus 

 Fringilla. 



Pink— Spink— Chink— Shell Apple— Tvvink— Beech Finch— 

 Skelly — Horse Finch. 



This is one of the commonest of our British birds, 

 and there are few gardens, hedgerows, or shrubberies 

 in the British Isles where its "pink, pink, pink" may 

 not be heard. In addition to this common note it has 

 a song, short and lively and not unpleasing, which is 

 thought very highly of by the French and Germans, 

 but amongst us it has no very great reputation as a 

 songster. 



The Chaffinch is a resident bird, but its numbers 

 are largely increased by autumn migrations. A 

 curious fact in connection with these birds is that 

 towards Christmas the males and females collect into 

 separate flocks and live for some time quite indepen- 



