20 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



or shrubs throughout the United Kingdom. Our 

 illustrations are from photographs taken in widely 

 different parts of the country. 



Materials. Moss, wool, lichens, and cobwebs 

 beautifully felted together, and lined with hair, 

 feathers, and down. The nest is cup-shaped, deep, 

 and wonderfully made in every respect. It is 

 compact, neat, well felted or woven together, and 

 securely fastened to the situation chosen. The 

 bird shows a great deal of sagacity in its outside 

 adornment. I have specimens in my possession 

 taken from lichen-covered or grey-barked trees 

 that are smothered with bits of lichen and spiders' 

 nests, and have seen bits of old newspaper used 

 for the purpose. On the other hand, I have nests 

 whereon none of these materials appear, because 

 their surroundings did not call for them to produce 

 any harmonising effect, 



Eggs. Four to six, generally five. Pale greenish- 

 blue, generally suffused with faint reddish-brown 

 and spotted and streaked with dirty reddish-brown 

 of various shades. I have specimens in my pos- 

 session suffused with purplish-buff all over, but 

 without any markings; and have seen a clutch of 

 pale greenish-blue ones entirely unmarked. Size 

 about -75 by -58 in. 



Time. March, April, May, June and July. 



Remarks. Kesident, and partially migratory. I 

 have noticed that the cocks, almost without ex- 

 ception, leave the Yorkshire dales in winter. Notes, 

 spinTc-spink, yack-yack, treef-treef. Its song is a 

 joyous, ringing trill. Local and other names: 

 Bullspink, Scobby, Skelly, Spink, Twink, Pink, 

 Shellapple, Shelly, Shilfer, Wet Bird, Buckfinch, 

 Beechfinch, Whitefinch, Copperfinch, Horsefmch. 

 A very close sitter. I have seen the bird's tail 



