36 OUR RESIDENT BIRDS 



Length 3! in. Female, duller crown, browner and less 

 defined black streak round same. Young, crown minus 

 yellow and black border. 



Language. Song, not extensive and very weak. 

 Call-note, a thin, wiry squeak, rather like the noise pro- 

 duced by a damp wash-leather on a pane of glass. 



Habits. It spends nearly all its life fluttering about 

 seeking its food amongst the feathery branches of some 

 non-deciduous tree. Very Tit-like in its antics. Sociable 

 and often seen in parties. 



Food. Small insects and spiders ; in winter, seeds and 

 small berries. 



Nest. April onwards. Probably two broods. 



Site. Nearly always built on to a lateral branch of 

 some non-deciduous tree, suspended from one bough and 

 supported by another, or made fast to the smaller twigs 

 of the bough from which it hangs, especially spruce trees. 



Materials. Dry grass, leaves, moss, lichens, fir-needles, 

 wool, cobwebs, &c., all wonderfully interwoven and 

 felted together into an almost spherical ball, lined with a 

 profusion of small soft feathers. A beautiful nest. 



Eggs. Six to ten. Creamy white, closely mottled 

 with reddish brown, especially at -large end. 



GREENFINCH (Ligurinus chloris). 



Abundant throughout Great Britain, except in the 

 extreme North. 



Haunts. Shrubberies in gardens, orchards, outskirts 

 of woods, &c. 



Plumage. Yellowish green, variegated with yellow 

 and ash-grey. Bill flesh-coloured and rather massive. 

 Legs horn-brown. Length 6 in. Female, rather smaller 

 and browner. Young, much like female. 



Language. Song, bright and clear, but always ter- 

 minating with a monotonous " zshweer." Another note 

 is " did-it-it." 



