iU BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



Eggs. Four to five, greyish, or greenish- white, 

 spotted and streaked with light purplish and reddish- 

 brown, and grey. The markings are, as a rule, most 

 numerous round the larger end of the egg. They 

 generally run smaller in size than those of the 

 Greenfinch and Linnet, but closely resemble them 

 in colour. Size about '66 by '51 in. 



Time. May, June, and July. 



Remarks. Migratory and resident. Notes : call, 

 ziflit, or sticJclit. Song : shrill twittering and warb- 

 ling, and containing the syllable fink. Local and 

 other names : Gold Spink, Draw-water, Thistle 

 Finch, Grey Kate, or Pate, Goldie, King Harry, 

 Bedcap, Proud Tail. Sits pretty close, and flies 

 away without demonstration. 



GOOSANDER. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length twenty- 

 six and a half inches. Bill rather long, straight, 

 hooked at the tip, and vermilion-red, except the 

 upper ridge and point of the upper mandible, which 

 are black. Irides red. Head and upper half of 

 neck rich glossy green ; feathers on the back of 

 the head lengthened. Upper back and scapulars 

 black ; lower back, upper tail-coverts, and tail-qiiills 

 ash grey. Shoulder of wing, all the coverts and 

 secondaries white ; primaries almost black. Lower 

 part of neck in front, breast, belly, vent, and under 

 tail-coverts salmon-buff. Legs and toes orange-red, 

 webs somewhat darker. 



The female is rather smaller, and differs to a 

 considerable extent in coloration. Bill and hides 

 duller. Head and upper part of neck reddish- 

 brown. Back, wings, tail-coverts, tail-quills, sides 



