/8 FRINGILLID^. 



credited, but Mr. Atkinson recorded (Zool. p. 9210) on the 

 authority of Mr. Guy Dawnay a supposed instance of the 

 Brambling breeding near Thirsk, the bird, howes^er, which 

 built the nest and laid the eggs was not procured. Mr. Harvie 

 Brown in 18G1 saw near Stirling a pair, whose actions made 

 him feel sure that they had a nest (Zool. s.s. pp. 69, 892). 

 In Germany, on evidence just as unsatisfactory, the species 

 has also been believed occasionally to pass the summer, and 

 Brehm says that it bred in his neighbourhood in 1818. In 

 confinement the Brambling has frequently built a nest and 

 laid eggs, though it does not seem to have hatched its 

 young. Even in Norway it does not generally breed to the 

 south of lat. 59° N. or in Sweden to the south of lat. 62° 

 N., and in both countries this boundary must be understood 

 to have reference only to the mountainous districts, for in 

 the lowlands of each its breeding-range lies far to the 

 northward. On the higher verge of the fir-forests, however, 

 it is pretty numerous in summer, and is still more abun- 

 dant where the birch becomes the prevalent growth, follow- 

 ing that tree to its furthest limits. The nest is usually 

 placed, some ten or fifteen feet from the ground, at the 

 l)ase of a horizontal branch and against the bole of a 

 birch, or in the fork of two or more upstanding smaller 

 branches, which support and are often enclosed within its 

 walls. In substance and structure it greatly resembles that 

 of the Chafiinch, but is larger and less compact. The eggs 

 also are very like those of that species, but they more fre- 

 quently want the reddish, suffused tinge, and have the mark- 

 ings better defined and less blurred, though some specimens 

 of each are quite indistinguishable. They vary in size from 

 "78 to "67 by from '59 to '53 in. Not unfrequently an egg 

 is found in the nest in colour nearly agreeing with the rest 

 of its contents, but measuring from -86 to '83 by from '67 

 to "65 in. Such examples are believed, and perhaps cor- 

 rectly, to be the produce of the Cuckow, but proof of their 

 parentage is as yet wanting. The cock has a song which an 

 unpractised ear, however, may pass many days, even in forests 

 where the bird is common, without catching, for it is short 



