Resident Birds. 



271 



building a beautiful nest of all sorts of materials 

 within reach. One has been found constructed 

 entirely of raw cotton. The eggs are sometimes 

 blue, sometimes white with pale spots, or pinky, or 

 red, as if pencil-marked. . Named ccelebs by Linnaeus, 

 because in winter, especially when the season is 

 severe, in many parts the sexes say good-bye to one 

 another, and live asunder till spring, when they 

 re-unite. One of the neatest in habits of all English 

 birds. Even in the depth of winter the chaffinch 

 seeks a lavatory every day. 



THE TREE SPARROW (Passer montanus), ii., 104. 



A sharp little bird, not uncommon, and usually build- 

 ing in hollow oak-trees. If the tree be approached 

 during incubation it flies off like a shot. 



THE HOUSE SPARROW (Passer domesticus), ii., 105. 

 The bold, pert, quarrelsome bird, indifferent alike to 

 our kindness and our enmity, which nevertheless one 

 is glad to see feeding on the crumbs considerately 

 thrown to it from the parlour breakfast-table. 



THE GREENFINCH ( Coccothraustes chloris), ii., 106. 

 Common in cultivated fields and gardens. Song 

 sweet but monotonous. 



THE COMMON LINNET (Linaria cannabina)^ ii., no. 

 Abundant everywhere on heaths and in hedgerows. 

 Many are kept in cages for the beauty of the song. 

 Not only among mankind, it would seem, does a 

 fine voice sometimes prove the road to ruin. 



