156 The Naturalist in Siluria. 



tance off is not easily identified ; its size, of course, seem- 

 ing less on the high perch, where, no doubt, it is oft 

 mistaken for chaff, bull, or greenfinch. 



That the grosbeak is often in greater numbers in a 

 neighbourhood than is generally supposed some proof 

 is afforded by an incident occurring to one of my lady 

 friends, who takes interest in the habits of birds. During 

 one of the long lying snows she was accustomed to feed 

 a flock on the lawn, but a little way from the house win- 

 dows, and one day, among the tits, sparrows, chaffinches, 

 and buntings, appeared a bird larger than any, which she 

 recognised as a hawfinch. It was shy at first, but grew 

 bolder as time passed, and there was none to disturb the 

 feeding of the flock. Next morning it brought another 

 along with it, and on the following day two more, till at 

 length five of these grand finches became recipients of 

 her bounty. Yet this was in a district of country where 

 the local ornithologists had even doubted the fact of a 

 hawfinch having ever been seen ! 



THE NEST OF THE BOTTLE BIRD. 



April is the nesting season of our permanently resi- 

 dent birds, and I cannot resist touching on the sub- 

 ject, with special reference to certain of their nests. 

 Travellers in tropical countries, and people at home read- 

 ing accounts of them, regard with wonder the nests of 

 the so-called " weaver birds," " tailor birds," and others 

 that show ingenuity of construction. Yet I doubt whether 

 any of these give evidence of greater textile skill than 

 that of our own best nest-builder, the long-tailed tit 



