

THE CHAFFINCH. ' 151 



passing partly through it, or in the centre of some 

 hedgerow thorn, in either case being usually adorned 

 on the outside with irregular fragments of lichen 

 such as may be found growing on the nearest 

 branches, rendering its detection by no means easy. 

 As a rule, nests of the Chaffinch present but little 

 variation in their general appearance, although now 

 and again an odd one is met with. Thompson 

 mentions one which was built against the stem of 

 a pine tree, and rested on one of the branches to 

 which it was bound with a piece of fine whipcord. 

 This was taken once round the branch, and both 

 the ends were firmly interwoven in the material of 

 the nest. 



The eggs, generally five in number, are of a pale 

 greenish blue, suffused with purplish brown, and 

 marked chiefly towards the larger end with spots 

 and specks of dark crimson, often approaching to 

 black. Considerable variation, however, is observ- 

 able in the colour of the eggs. We have taken 

 some which were of an almost uniform pale blue. 



The young, in their nesting plumage, take after 

 their mother in appearance, though their colours are 

 more subdued in tone. 



