396 



PERCHING BIRDS. 



outer portion of the nest appears to be interwoven with spiders' webs ; and a few 

 bits of lichen and grey moss are affixed here and there. A nest in the possession 

 of Mr. Carl Sachse, taken near Frankfort, is built in the fork between three up- 

 right small branches of a lilac tree, and is constructed entirely of fine grass-stems 

 and rootlets, intermixed with cotton and woollen threads. These latter are utilised 

 more especially to bind the structure to the branches, which is most effectually and 

 strongly done, one of the branches being encircled at least a dozen times with a 

 long piece of tolerably stout, woollen thread. The lining consists merely of some- 

 what finer grass stems than those used in the construction of the exterior portion." 

 The eggs vary from four to five in number, and are blotched with dark reddish 

 brown. Whin migrating in the north of Spain, these birds do not seem to travel 

 in large flocks, but rather in small parties, sometimes even singly, though the 



THE canary (j nat. size). 



latter were presumably only stragglers from the main detachment of the migrating 

 host. The serin finch bulks considerably amongst the small birds netted in the 

 environs of Paris ; and occasionally it even straggles to the south coast of Great 

 Britain, where it has been taken on the southern shores on a good many occasions, 

 especially in the neighbourhood of Brighton ; its visits to Britain generally taking 

 place in the spring of the year. The plumage of the male serin finch is pale brown 

 above, with dark centres to the feathers ; the forehead and nape being yellow : the 

 lower back and rump bright yellow ; the cheeks ashy grey ; the quills blackish or 

 dusky brown, edged witli yellow: the throat and breast yellow; and the sides of 

 the body and flanks ashy brown, washed with yellow and streaked with black. 



Found in most of the islands from which it takes its name, in Las 



Palmas the canary (S. canarius) is wonderfully abundant, and may be 



seen in great flocks throughout the breeding-season, as if there was not room for all to 



