BRITAIN^S BIRDS AND THEIR NESTS. 261 



The four or five eggs, laid in the first half of May, are 

 greenish blue, spotted and streaked with a lighter and a 

 darker shade of purple, especially at the larger end. The 

 female undertakes all the duties of incubation. 



The gardener wages bitter war on the Bullfinch, for, 

 although it takes the seeds of many noxious weeds, it 

 does much harm in winter and- spring to the buds of 

 gooseberry, currant, and other bushes. As with other 

 Finches, the young are fed on insects, but they also 

 receive at an early stage seeds that have been softened 

 by the parents. 



THE CROSSBILL 



(Loxia curvirostra). 



This remarkable Finch has the points of the mandibles 

 elongated and crossed. The beak thus forms a pair of 

 strong * scissors,' very useful for dealing with the hard 

 seeds of conifers and other trees. Pine forests are the 

 chief haunts of the Crossbill, and it nests regularly in 

 these in many parts of the British Isles, notably central 

 Scotland. It nests irregularly in many other parts, 

 especially after the great 'invasions' from north-western 

 Europe that take place in some seasons. An invasion 

 of this sort took place in the autumn of 1909. The 

 eggs are usually four in number, and are grayish white in 

 colour, with a few reddish-brown spots. Laying begins 

 very early in the year. 



