EARLY JUNE—OUR LAST EXCURSION 169 
nests are always beautifully circular in shape. 
The nest is solidly put together, and will stand 
a good deal of knocking about ; it is traversed 
by twigs, round which the materials are twined 
and bound (Plate LII). The nest is generally 
in aclose-set bush. The song of the chaffinch 
is remarkable in being so vigorous and often 
repeated. The bird seems impelled to sing 
even under the most adverse circumstances. 
Observe one of the bird-catchers so frequently 
seen about, especially on Sundays, with a 
cage under his arm. In many cases it con- 
tains a cock chaffinch. This may be a tame 
call-bird or one recently caught. Even in 
the latter case, whilst being carried along 
confined in so small a prison and covered 
over with a black cloth in darkness, the 
bird will often keep up his ‘chipp, chipd, 
chipbp, chipp, chirr-rr-rr-rr-rvr. Indeed, if 
one is near by, the loud, noisy and determined 
notes suddenly coming from an unexpected 
and unseen source astonish one not a little. 
From the ceaseless efforts that all newly- 
caught birds make to get out of their small 
