THE HAWFINCH. 313 



Its nest is not a very compact structure, and is 

 remarkably shallow. It is made of twigs and 

 fibres, always intermingled, more or less, with the 

 grey lichens, which add so mucli to the beauty of 

 a nest. The eggs are from four to six in num- 

 ber, of a greenish white, streaked with brown 

 and grey. 



There seems little temptation to make a captive 

 of a bird whose song is very inferior to many, nor 

 is the hawfinch much prized as a cage-bird in this 

 country. In France, however, it is frequently thus 

 kept. When in confinement it is necessary that it 

 should be kept apart from other birds, for it will 

 kill a weaker companion by pinching out its flesh 

 with its strong talons, making all the while an 

 angry noise, which is like that made by a file. 



So extremely shy is the bird when wild, that an 

 ornithologist remarks of it, — " In this trait it ex- 

 ceeds any land bird with which I am acquainted ; 

 and in open places it is almost impossible to 

 approach it within gun-shot." When it hears the 

 sound of a footstep, it flies ofl" immediately to the 

 very top of the tallest tree, and mingling there with 

 the foliage, soon becomes invisible. In the summer 

 months it makes much havoc amono-st trees in 



