THE HAWFINCH 99 



means gregarious in the breeding season, several nests may 

 often be found quite close together in localities where suitable 

 nesting-places are rare. I have noticed a similar peculiarity 

 in the Stormcock and the Greenfinch. Few of our British 

 nests exceed in wild rustic beauty that of the Hawfinch. It 

 puts you in mind of the Bullfinch's cradle, only it is much 

 larger and more compactly woven. The outside is formed of 

 fine twigs, often those of the birch and beech being selected, 

 intermixed with stalks of weeds, bits of lichen, roots, and 

 scraps of moss, and sometimes one or two dead leaves. This 

 rude cup is lined with dry grass and finer roots and hair. In 

 shape it is rather flat and somewhat bulky, but is always 

 neatly finished. The eggs are five or six in number, and are 

 laid towards the middle of May. They are pale olive-green 

 or brownish-buff in ground colour, streaked out and spotted 

 with dark greenish-brown, and paler markings of gray. Many 

 eggs are almost as much streaked as those of the Yellow 

 Bunting. They cannot readily be confused with those of any 

 other British species. Throughout the whole season of incuba- 

 tion the parent Hawfinches are most careful not to betray the 

 whereabouts of their nest, going and coming with stealthy 

 quietness. The hen bird hatches the eggs, but both parents 

 are assiduous in bringing food for the young. As soon as the 

 young birds are able to leave the nest their parents lead them 

 to the neighbouring gardens and orchards, where they make 

 sad havoc amongst the green peas and ripening cherries. But 

 let not the gardener be too severe on these handsome birds ; 

 they deserve a share of the fruit after ridding garden and 

 orchard of many noxious insects and grubs. Besides, the 

 gardener is apt to do far more mischief in a moment by dis- 

 charging his gun amongst the fruit trees than a whole family 

 of Hawfinches would accomplish in a year. 



As the season wanes these little parties of Hawfinches 

 often congregate into much larger flocks, and frequent the 



