14 BRITISH BIRDS 



crimson, white, and black of the head and the yellow bar on 

 the wing. Wing and tail quills black with white on the tips. 

 Under-parts mostly grey-brown. Back brown. The young, 

 known as grey-pates or branchers, lack the red, white, and 

 black on the head, which is brownish, and have the upper- 

 parts and breast streaked brown. 



Nest. Place : trees, shrubs, hedges. Material : neatly built 

 of moss, lichen, roots, &c., lined usually with hair, wool, 

 down. 



Eggs. Usually 4-6. Pale bluish spotted and streaked with 

 deep red-brown, and marked faintly with red-grey. Av. size, 

 67 x *50 in. Laying begins May. Two broods. 



14. Siskin [Carduelis spinus (Linnseus)]. Resident in Scot- 

 land, Ireland, N. England, N. Wales. Elsewhere winter visitor 

 and bird of passage. 



Bird. Length 4J in. Recognised by the yellow and green 

 plumage, black crown and chin, and dusky streaks on the 

 back and flanks. For some time after the autumn moult 

 the feathers on the nape and back have ash-grey tips. The 

 hen is greyer and has the crown olive-green with dusky 

 streaks, the chin dull white instead of black, and the under- 

 parts all striped, except the belly. The young are still more 

 striated. 



Nest. Place : usually high up in coniferous trees. Material : 

 twigs, roots, dry grass, moss, lichen, lined with wool, down, 

 hair, feathers, roots. 



Eggs. Usually 4-5. Pale blue marked with red-brown and 

 fainter red-grey. Av. size, '64 x '47 in. Laying begins April- 

 May. Two broods. 



15. Lesser-redpoll [Linota linaria cabaret (P. L. S. Miiller) ; 

 Linota rufescens (Vieillot)]. Resident in most parts. 



Bird. Length 4^ in. Recognised by its small size, the rosy 

 forehead, crown, breast, and rump, the dusky striated rufous- 

 brown back, the black lores and chin, and the buff wing band. 

 In winter the rose of the breast is obscured by brown. The 

 female has the red on the forehead and crown only. The 

 young lack it altogether, as well as the black on the lores and 

 chin ; they have the upper-parts greyish with dusky striations, 

 the under-parts greyish-white striated on the breast and flanks. 



Nest. In trees, also bushes, hedges, sometimes heather, 

 furze, bracken. Material: twigs, stems, moss, wool, <fec., 

 lined usually with down. 



Eggs. Usually 4-5. Dull greenish marked with purplish- 

 brown. Av. size, *62 x *48 in. Laying begins April-May. 

 Broods 1-2. 



16. Mealy - redpoll [Linota linaria linaria (Linnaeus)]. 



