206 IN BIRD-LAND 



they undergo a spring moult after their arrival 

 with us I cannot say, but I have seen them later 

 in the season, when feeding their young, with 

 hardly a vestige of this rose-tinge remaining. 



They make a very slight nest of dried grasses 

 and horsehair ; and some specimens I have found 

 have been so fragile that it was possible to see 

 the eggs from underneath. The photograph of 

 the young bird was obtained soon after it had 

 left the nest ; but before I was able to take it 

 I had a rare chase along the hedgerow, or until 

 the bird left the hedge and -flew on to a fruit 

 tree in an adjoining orchard, when by walking 

 up very cautiously I was able to expose a plate 

 successfully. The fledgling then joined its parents 

 in the thick bushes. 



Numerous Greenfinches and Chaffinches breed 

 along the banks of the Brook in the bushes. 

 While passing a nest of the latter species one 

 day, I noticed that both birds were in a state 

 of extreme excitement, and the cause soon 

 became apparent when it was seen, that one of 

 their young brood had fallen into the water and 

 was fluttering about for dear life. My attempting 

 a rescue only caused the fluttering to increase ; 

 but the other bank was soon reached, and the 

 little fellow climbed up, not much the worse for 



