68 



The female lays 4 or 5 dirty white eggs, tinged and 

 marked with purple. 



Mr. White, in his history of Selborne, observes, that 

 great flocks sometimes appear in that neighbourhood, about 

 Christinas, and that they are almost all hens. In Sweden 

 the hens migrate, leaving the males. 



4. MONTIFRINGILLA. MOUNTAIN BRAM- 



BLING, OR KATE. 



F. nigra pennis rufo marginatis, subtus uropygioque 

 alba, jugulo pectoreque rufescentibus, rectricibus 

 lateralibus nigricantibus, extus albo marginatis. 



The bill is yellow ; the irides are dusky ; the back 

 and crown are black, edged with brown ; the chin, 

 throat, breast, and less wing coverts are orange ; 

 the inner coverts are yellow ; the quills are edged 

 with yellow ; the belly and rump are white ; the tail 

 a little forked and black, except the exterior feathers, 

 which are white on the outer web ; the legs are greyish 

 brown. 



The female is less bright. 



It is said to build in fir-trees, forming its nest of 

 moss, and lining it with wool, hair, and feathers. 



The female lays 4 or 5 white eggs, spotted with 

 yellow. 



" The mountain finch is pretty common in Yorkshire, in 

 winter, having frequently shot it from amongst flocks of 



