PINE-GROSBEAK. 181 



The nest is generally placed some six feet or more from 

 the ground in a young fir, and rests on the horizontal 

 branches near to or touching the bole. It has an unmistak- 

 able likeness to that of the Bullfinch, and is a beautifully 

 neat structure, "made externally of an extremely light net- 

 work of thin trailing twigs laced into each other ; some of 

 which are more than two feet in length." This fabric " is 

 suddenly changed into a compact bedding of bare roots, 

 mixed with a few sprigs of hair-lichen, which form together 

 almost a separate nest inside the outer network." Occasion- 

 ally the long stems of creeping plants are used instead of 

 twigs for the outworks, and Wolley saw one nest composed of 

 the vagrant stalks of the delicate Linncea, while dry grass some- 

 times almost exclusively replaces the roots of the ordinary lin- 

 ing. But, however different the materials, the style of architec- 

 ture never varies and whoever has seen a Bullfinch's nest can 

 form a very just idea of that of the Pine-Grosbeak the latter 

 however, as is natural, being considerably larger. The same 

 may be said of the eggs, which are commonly four in num- 

 ber, and, measuring from 1*1 to *91 by from *74 to *67 in., may 

 be described as exaggerated Bullfinches', being of a deep 

 greenish-blue, speckled, spotted or blotched with purplish- 

 grey or dark brownish-purple. The markings, especially of 

 the former colour, are seldom well defined and often much suf- 

 fused, in which case a brownish tint is imparted to the whole 

 shell, and the darker colour is often spread in the form of 

 large irregular blotches ; but there are eggs in which these 

 are remarkably well defined. 



The Pine- Grosbeak inhabits the conifer-zone of the north- 

 ern parts of both the Old and the New World, seeking, we 

 may presume, in either Region a lower latitude during winter. 

 That in Europe it does so is evident, for towards the southern 

 extremity of the Scandinavian peninsula it appears yearly, and 

 sometimes in considerable numbers. Nevertheless it is only 

 induced by very severe weather to cross to Denmark, and but 



rediscovery were given, in 1856, by Mr. Hewitson who also figured the eggs (Eggs 

 Br. B. Ed. 2, i. p. 210* pi. liii.*), and later in still greater detail by Mr. 

 jr in his admirable work. 



