THE SISKIN. 87 



ever, thus : " It prefers building in forests of pine or fir, 

 and places its nest on the highest bough of one of those 

 trees, or sometimes on the branch of the alder. It is 

 fastened to the bough with spiders' web, coral moss, and 

 threads from the cocoons of various insects, and is cleverly 

 constructed of these materials, woven together with small 

 twigs, and lined with very fine roots." 



The eggs are of a greyish-white, spotted thickly, par- 

 ticularly at the larger end, with purplish-brown, and are 

 generally five or six in number. 



The migratory appearance of the Siskin in this country 

 is somewhat erratic, and is in keeping with the mystery 

 that enshrouds some other of the proceedings of its life. 

 In some years a considerable migration arrives in England 

 from the north, which would almost point to the fact that 

 these little birds must have crossed the German Ocean ; or 

 it may be for their numbers so considerably vary that 

 these are merely the birds bred in Scotland. In other 

 years and this appears to be the real migration the move- 

 ment proceeds from Norway and Sweden via Germany, 

 picking up the stragglers in that country, and. so to the 

 south of England. 



Bechstein observes that the male generally loses the 

 black of the throat in the moult of the second year ; but 

 this is not a uniform rule, as we have known many varying 

 specimens. The birds, however, invariably increase in 

 brilliancy and beauty of plumage with age. 



The food of the Siskin whilst in Norway and Sweden 

 seems to be the seeds of the firs and pines. In the autumn, 

 Bechstein says they exist' upon the seeds of the thistle and 

 burdock. In England, in October, they feed upon button- 

 weed, and in winter and early spring subsist upon alder 



