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On Eggs of Serin-Finches.



Dr. Russ, in his account of the nidificatiou of this bird,

states that the laying consists of four to five eggs, pale blue, at

times greenish, finely speckled, and spotted with reddish or

brown. Did Dr. Russ make a note, at the time when he bred

the species, of the number and colouring of the eggs ; or did he

slightly modify Heuglin’s account of the colouring, and take his

number from what is known to be most usual among Serin-

finches ? It is interesting that Heuglin’s nest should have

contained three eggs only, and that both of the nests built in

my aviary this year should have been limited to that number.

In any case, it proves that the number for a normal clutch

should not be put down as “4 to 5 ” ; if the higher number is

ever reached, the normal number should stand as 3 to 5 : this is

a point upon which I should like additional information.


Again, as regards the colouring of the eggs, mine have all

been pure white ; the solitary egg in my first nest being

unspotted.* I11 the two later nests the eggs have been uniform

in character, being finely spotted and speckled at the large end

with pitchy black: they remind one a little of some eggs of the

Chiff-Chaff, only they are longer ovals and the spots 011 them are

smaller. Here again I should like to hear the testimony of

other breeders.


As regards the Green Singing-fincli, I have had nests

built about five times, mostly in' boxes hung upon the wires of

my aviaries: in each case I have seen the eggs while the bird

was off; and in every instance the eggs have been pure creamy-

white and immaculate, or so nearly so that, without taking them

out and examining them under a lens, no markings could be

distinguished : the}’’ varied in number from four to six. I11 every

case they disappeared shortly after the completion of the clutch,

being probably eaten by the cock bird.


According to Shelley, the number of eggs of this Serin is

three to five, of a pale bluish ground-colour, sparingly spotted

towards the larger end with pale reddish brown.


Dr. Russ says that the laying consists of four eggs,

yellowish white, for the most part spotted with buff. Mr.



When partly incubated, they might assume a greyish tinge.



