GOLDFINCH AND CHAFFINCH 



form the framework of the nest with scraps of moss, wool, 

 spider's web, mud, and even by means of their own saliva. 



The walls of a nest are usually formed of three layers, of 

 which the outermost is roughly made of coarse materials, 

 and the middle one somewhat finer and more carefully put 

 together. But it is the inner layer, forming the lining of 

 the nest, to which the bird usually devotes most skill and 

 attention, making it of the finest grasses, soft moss, hair, 

 feathers, thistle-down, and the like, and choosing those 

 substances which are best adapted to form a soft bed and to 

 retain the warmth which is imparted to the eggs during 

 incubation. 



A nest of the common shape with which everybody is 

 more or less familiar may be somewhat fancifully compared 

 to a basket without a handle, or to one of those panniers one 

 so often sees on the Continent, slung over the backs of 

 donkeys or mules. Birds interlace and weave together strips 

 of vegetable matter much as the basket-makers do, forming a 

 hollow, cup-shaped structure. The general method is similar 

 in nearly all cases, though different species employ different 

 materials, the nature of which naturally influences to some 

 extent the operations of the worker. For the purpose of 

 description we have adopted a classification of nests which 

 is quite arbitrary and artificial, but which seems convenient 

 for our purpose. 



NESTS MADE OF SOFT MATERIALS 



A great number of our song birds build nests which come 

 under this heading. It will be sufficient if we give a few 

 examples of those which are best known. 



Amongst our British birds the Goldfinch (Carduelis 

 carduelis) and Chaffinch (Fringitta ccelebs) make nests 



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