-5i BRITISH BIRDS, THEIR EGGS AND NESTS. 



oeing such as to remind one of the Ring-dove's flat platform of a 

 nest. The eggs " vary from four to six, and are of a pale olive- 

 green, spotted with black, and streaked with dusky grey." Mr. 

 Doubleday adds, that some are much less marked than others. 

 A few, indeed, with no marks at all on the green ground-colour. 

 Fig. 9, plate IV. 



103. GOLDFINCH. (Carduelis elegans). 

 Thistle- finch, Gold-spink, Grey Kate, or Pate (the young), 

 Proud Tailor, Goldie, King Harry Red-cap. This beautiful little 

 bird is, I fear, one of those which are much less common in 

 many districts than used to be the case in my younger days. It 

 is much sought after for keeping in cages, and is caught for that 

 purpose in numbers by the professional bird-catchers. It builds 

 a beautifully neat and pretty nest ; sometimes in a bush or ever- 

 green, often in the fork of an apple or other fruit-tree, and more 

 rarely in a hedge. It is formed of moss, fir-needles, green bents, 

 wool, thistle-down, willow-down, feathers, hairs, &c., according 

 to the choice afforded by the locality of the nest. The eggs are 

 four or five in number, are bluish white or pale grey, spotted 

 with greyish purple and red brown, and sometimes a little 

 streaked with the same. Fig. 10, plate IF. 



104. SISKIN. (Carduelis spinus). 



Abberdevine. Only a winter visitor ; and though not very un- 

 common at that season in many parts of Britain, yet it has been 

 known to nest with us so very rarely that it seems scarcely 

 requisite to give any account of either nest or eggs in this place. 



105. COMMON LINNET. (Linota cannabina). 

 Linnet, Grey Linnet, Red Linnet, Brown Linnet, Whin 

 Linnet, Linnet Finch, Red-headed Finch, Greater Redpole, 

 Rose Linnet, Lint-white, Lintie. No wonder school-boys and 

 country boys had, and have, three or four different names for this 

 one bird (according to the differences of plumage due to age, sex, 

 or season), when even naturalists made two species of it. The 

 male in his full plumage, with red poll and rose breast and 

 bright brown plumage, is a handsome bird, and, compared with 

 the female or the young, a very "fine bird" indeed. It is com- 

 mon enough in most districts, and pretty sure to be met with 

 where there is much furze. The nest is frequently to be found 

 in the midst of thick furze covers ; but like Mr. Hewitson, I 

 have found it commonly in thickish thorn-hedges, and very often 

 in small and single furze bushes. It is made of small twigs and 

 bents and moss, and often lined with a copious cushion of wool 

 merely; at other times, with some hair and vegetable down. 

 The eggs vary greatly in size s as well as in colour and markings, 



