PERCHING BIRDS. ; ' > > . . , LQl, 



quite flat, but the lining of hair in it was nearly an inch 

 in thickness. 



The Girl Bunting (E. cirlus). This species, like 

 nivalis, is not common, but they are occasionally taken 

 on the forest fields at Edwinstowe during the winter, 

 appearing with us as mere stragglers. 



Amongst our native birds hardly one, I think, equals 

 the Chaffinch (Fringilla ccelebs) in the exquisite con- 

 struction and finish of its nest ; and not one spends so 

 long a time in its formation ; I have known three weeks 

 consumed in this process. It might well be thus when 

 the elaborate style of the workmanship is considered, 

 for indeed it is a very model of neatness ; no straggling 

 straws or other materials disfigure the symmetrical 

 outline, but both the interior and exterior are per- 

 fectly compact and smooth. I have sometimes been led 

 to believe that, in addition to the weaving and felting, 

 by which the wool and moss and other materials are 

 wrought together, the chaffinch uses its saliva for the 

 purpose of increasing the firmness of its work. I have 

 seen some of their nests which certainly appeared on 

 removal, to have been attached to the branches of trees 

 by other means than the mere weaving of the materials 

 around them. 



I was first impressed with this idea by finding a nest 

 on the top of a post in my own garden. The post 

 formed part of an open fence, on either side of which 

 currant trees were placed ; it was of split oak, and the 

 top having been sawn off the surface was perfectly 

 smooth, and nearly, though not quite, level. On this 

 platform of six inches by four, without a splinter or pro- 

 jection of any kind to afford an attachment, I found in 



