60 CHAFFINCH. 



He add-; that a nest of the Chaffinch, which was built in 

 an old willow tree, in a garden where no white lichens could 

 be found, was ornamented with fragments of white paper. 

 'The Chaffinch builds its nest in many different situations, 

 preferring old moss-grown apple or crab trees, and whitethorn 

 bushes. There is, however, scarcely a low tree, upon the 

 branches of which the nest may not be sometimes found, 

 occasionally upon the flat bough of a spruce fir, in hollies, 

 and often in hedges. I have found one on the top of a dead 

 stake fence. The nest is composed chiefly of moss, so worked 

 and matted together with wool that it is no easy matter to 

 pull it into pieces as small as those of which it was first 

 formed; inside of this is a very thick lining of dry grass, 

 wool, feathers, thistle-down, and hair, in succession." 



Mr. Knapp, the author of the 'Journal of a Naturalist,' 

 says, 'I have observed these birds, in very hot seasons, to 

 wet their eggs, by discharging moisture from their bills upon 

 them, or at least perform an operation that appeared to be 

 so.' 



The old birds continue together throughout the summer, 

 and as the broods become able to associate with their parents, 

 they may be found in small parties, which again further unite 

 together as winter advances. 



The eggs are four or five in number, of a short oval form, 

 and of a dull bluish green colour, clouded with dull red, often 

 blended together into one tint. They are slightly streaked 

 and somewhat spotted irregularly over their whole surface 

 with dark dull well-defined red spots. Some have been found 

 of a uniform dull blue, without any spots. 



Male; length, about six inches, or from that to six and a 

 half, or more; bill, clear bluish, tipped with black, with a 

 tinge of purple red on the lower surface of the under man- 

 dible the feathers over the base of the under bill are black ; 

 the base becomes whitish after the autumnal moult; iris, hazel. 

 Forehead, black, sides of the head dull pink, with a tinge of 

 rufous; crown, neck on the sides, and nape, fine bluish lead- 

 colour; chin, throat, and breast, on its upper part, dull pink, 

 with a tinge of rufous; the latter on its lower part fades off 

 into dull white, with a very faint tinge of reddish. Back, 

 chesnut brown, the feathers become margined with yellowish 

 grey in the winter, olive colour on the lower part. 



The wings expand to the width of eleven inches and a 

 half; greater wing coverts, black at the base, broadly tipped 



