254 BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 



SISKIN. 



Description of Parent Birds. Length nearly five 

 inches. Bill short, conical, sharp-tipped, and orange- 

 brown. Irides dusky brown. Top of bead black; 

 over and under each eye is a yellowish streak. Sides 

 of head yellowish-green ; nape and wings (except 

 greater coverts and quills, which are brownish- 

 black, tipped and bordered with yellow) greenish- 

 olive, streaked with black ; rump yellow ; upper tail- 

 coverts greenish-olive. Tail slightly forked, and 

 dusky black, yellowish on the upper half, with the 

 exception of the middle pair of feathers. Chin 

 black, throat and breast yellowish-green ; belly, sides, 

 flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts, greyish- white, 

 streaked with dusky black. Legs, toes, and claws 

 brown. 



The female is smaller, and lacks the black on 

 the crown and chin. Her upper-parts are olive- 

 brown, throat and breast greenish-yellow, and rest 

 of under-parts greyish- white. With the exception 

 of the centre of the belly she is streaked all over 

 with dusky black. 



Situation and Locality. In plantations, woods, 

 and forests. Its nest has been found on very 

 rare occasions in different parts of England, in 

 furze and juniper bushes ; but in Scotland, where 

 it breeds sparingly, it adopts higher situations 

 amongst the forks and branches of fir-trees. 



Materials. Slender twigs, dried grass, and moss, 

 lined internally with hair, rabbit or vegetable down, 

 and sometimes a few feathers. 



Eggs. Four to six, greyish -white, tinged with 

 green or pale bluish-green, spotted and speckled 

 with rusty and dark brown spots, sometimes streaked 



