THE BRAMBLING 97 



fanciers, without going so far as their German brethren, profess 

 to distinguish three variations of song in the Chaffinch. 



The nest of the Chaffinch is an exquisite piece of workmanship, 

 composed of moss, dry grass, fine roots felted together with wool, 

 decorated externally with scraps of white lichens, and lined with 

 hair and feathers. It is placed sometimes in the fork of a tree, 

 sometimes against the bole, but more frequently than anywhere 

 else it is built in among the twigs of an apple-tree ; but in every 

 case it is attached to its support by wool interwoven with the other 

 materials. The Chaffinch usually lays five eggs. 



THE BRAMBLING 



FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA 



Head, cheeks, nape, and upper part of the back, black, the feathers (in winter) 

 tipped with light brown or ash-grey ; neck and scapulars pale 

 orange-brown ; wings black, variegated with orange-brown and white ; 

 rump and lower parts white, the flanks reddish, with a few dark spots. 

 Female — crown reddish brown, the feathers tipped with grey, a black 

 streak over the eyes ; cheeks and neck ash-grey ; all the other 

 colours less bright. Length six inches and a half. Eggs yellowish white, 

 spotted and streaked with dark red. 



In winter this bird occurs over the whole continent of Europe, 

 and not unfrequently in enormous flocks. Pennant mentions 

 an instance in which eighteen were killed at one shot — a statement 

 which I can well believe, having seen in the winter of 1853 by far 

 the largest flock of small birds I ever beheld, and which was composed 

 entirely of Bramblings. They were employed in searching for 

 food on the ground in a beech wood, and, as I approached, flew 

 up into the branches in thousands. The Brambhng, called also 

 the Bramble Finch and Mountain Finch, is a fairly regular autumn 

 and winter visitor to many parts of Scotland. Its presence in our 

 country in any numbers depends on the severity of the weather 

 on the Continent. Sometimes it is fairly numerous with us, 

 especially where there are many beech woods. Few visit Ireland. 

 It resembles the Chaffinch in'habits, size, and general tone of colour ; 

 and as it often feeds in company with it, is probably sometimes con- 

 founded with it by an inexperienced eye. It arrives in this country 

 in November, and takes its departure early in spring, never having 

 been known to breed here. Its song is said to be something like 

 that of the Chaffinch, and its nest, built in fir-trees, to be constructed 

 with the same marvellous art. 



