FRINGILLA 311 



to this bird and it is always found within reach of it. Nidifica- 

 tion commences in June and July, and the nest, which is placed 

 in a pine-tree, is constructed of plant-stems, pine-spines, plant- 

 down, and spiders' webs, and well lined with feathers. The 

 eggs, 2 in number, are pale sea-green with pale purplish shell- 

 blotches and dark blackish brown surface-spots collected chiefly 

 at the larger end, and measure 0'96 by 0*68. 



457. BRAMBLING. 

 FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA. 



Fr'mgilla montif ring ilia, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 318 (1766) ; Naum. v 

 p. 44, Taf. 119 ; Hewitson, i. p. 194, pi. xlix. figs. 2, 3 ; Gould, B. 

 of E. iii. pi. 188 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iii. pi. 35 ; Newton, ii. p. 75 ; 

 Dresser, iv. p. 15, pi. 184 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xii. p. 178 ; 

 Saunders, p. 185 ; Lilford, iv. p. 37, pi. 20. 



Pinson d' Ardennes, French ; Tentilhdo monlez, Portug. ; Pinzon 

 montanes, Span.; Peppola, ItaL; Bergfink, German; Bcrgvink, 

 Dutch ; Noiske Bogfinke, Kvceker, Dan. ; Bjergfinke, Norw. ; 

 Bergfink, Norrqvint, Swed. ; Hcirkapeippo, Finn. ; Vyourok, 

 Russ. ; Vintan, Lapp. 



ad. (Sweden). Upper parts glossy blue black, the white bases of 

 the feathers showing occasionally, especially on the nape, lower back, and 

 rump white, slightly varied with black : quills blackish brown, margined 

 with dull white ; least wing-coverts orange, median and larger coverts 

 tipped with white, the innermost of the latter marked with orange ; a 

 yellowish white spot at the base of the quills ; tail blackish brown, with a 

 little white at the base of the outermost feathers ; upper tail-coverts ashy- 

 grey, marked with black ; sides of the head glossy blue-black ; throat and 

 upper breast pale orange ; under parts white, the flanks spotted with black, 

 the under tail-coverts tinged with buff ; bill horn-blue ; feet reddish brown ; 

 iris dark brown. Oilmen 0'5, wing 3'5, tail 2*4, tarsus 0*7 inch. The 

 female differs in being much more obscurely coloured, and in lacking the 

 black on the head and back, these parts being greyish brown. In the 

 autumn and winter the black in the male is obscured by broad, sandy-buff 

 margins to. the feathers, and the margins to the wing and tail-feathers are 

 broader, tinged with orange brown ; bill yellow, black at the tip ; legs 

 pale brown. 



Hal>. Northern Europe and Asia from Scandinavia to the 

 Pacific coast, wintering in central Europe, Great Britain, Asia 

 Minor, Northern India, China, and Japan ; rarely during severe 

 winters in North Africa. 



