SISKIN. 575 



six feet from the ground. It was composed of materials 

 similar to those used by the Chaffinch, and contained three 

 birds covered with a black down. The old ones were also 

 taken." London's Magazine, vol. viii. This gentleman has 

 succeeded in breeding and rearing Siskins in confinement, 

 and states that incubation lasts fourteen days ; the young 

 were fledged in fifteen days, and left the nest at the end of 

 the third week. Siskins also bred in confinement under the 

 management of Mr. Alfred Newton, at Elveden Hall, Thet- 

 ford. 



This species inhabits Scandinavia, and the southern pro- 

 vinces of Russia ; is said to breed occasionally in Germany, 

 but is a visitor for the winter, appearing in autumn in 

 Holland, France, Provence, and Italy. M. Temminck 

 states that specimens received from Japan resemble our 

 Siskin in every particular. 



The adult male in summer has the beak orange brown ; 

 the top of the head velvet black ; the lore, or space between 

 the beak and the eye, is also black ; the irides dusky brown ; 

 the cheeks and ear-coverts yellowish green ; back and sca- 

 pulars greenish olive, streaked longitudinally with dusky 

 black ; small wing-coverts black, tipped with yellow ; 

 greater wing-coverts yellow at the base, tipped with black ; 

 quill -feathers dusky black, edged with yellow ; rump and 

 upper tail-coverts yellow ; tail-feathers yellow at the base, 

 dusky black at the end, with narrow light-coloured edges ; 

 the tail slightly forked. Chin black ; throat, breast, and 

 belly, yellowish green, streaked longitudinally with dusky 

 black on the sides, flanks, and belly ; under tail-coverts 

 greyish white ; legs, toes, and claws, brown. 



The whole length of the bird is four inches and five- 

 eighths. From the carpal joint to the end of the wing, 

 two inches and seven-eighths : the first three quill -feathers 

 nearly equal in length, and the longest in the wing, the first 



