398 



PERCHING BIRDS. 



bush without being fastened to the branches, and is always well hidden in 

 the foliage. . . . The general complement of eggs is five, rarely four or six. 

 They are slightly elongated, slender, oval, or sometimes almost pyriform. In 

 colour they are of a beautiful blue-green, almost like the eggs of the song-thrush, 

 and are marked with spots of reddish black, more numerous at the larger end and 

 but few on the rest of the surface. ... In general character they resemble those 

 of the common bullfinch, but are less in size, and the ground-colour is more intense 

 and pure, while at the same time the spots are deeper. During the period of 

 incubation, and when the young are still small, the male sings continually, but in 

 different places and often far off, but it frequently returns to the vicinity of the 



SCARLET AND SIBERIAN GROSBEAKS (| nat. size). 



nest. When any person approaches, it calls exactly like a canary, and the female 

 uses the same alarm-note. As soon as the young commence to be feathered, the 

 male ceases his song and becomes as shy as the female. When they leave 

 the nest, the whole family conceal themselves in the foliage, and it is very difficult 

 to get sight of them, and they remain thus until they leave. Owing to their shy 

 habits then, I cannot say when they do leave, but suppose it is as soon as the 

 young birds can travel. In Siberia they are common, and remain longer there 

 than they do here. They nest there upon young conifers." Mr. Seebohm, who 

 appears to be one of the few British ornithologists who have studied the habits of 

 the rose-finch in Northern Europe, states that " its song is a very striking one, 

 and not to be confused with that of any other bird. It is a loud clear whistle, 



