150 FAMILIAR WILD BIRDS. 



a dwelling-house. The nest is composed of moss, a little 

 hay and wool, lined with seed-down of the willow and 

 hair neatly woven together. The eggs are four or five in 

 number ; white, tinged with blue, and spotted at the larger 

 end with raw sienna. 



THE MAGPIE. 



THE Magpie builds her nest on the tops of very tall trees, 

 but it has sometimes been found in comparatively small 

 bushes. It is large, domed, and almost spherical in 

 shape, composed of brambles, thorny sticks, clay, and finer 

 sticks, and lined inside with dead grass and fibrous roots ; 

 it has a hole on each side. She lays six or seven eggs of a 

 dirty light blue, spotted with yellowish-brown all over. 



THE BULLFINCH. 



THIS bird lays four or five eggs of a pale blue colour, 

 spotted and streaked with raw sienna, brown, or purple. 

 The nest is made of twigs and fibrous roots, and lined with 

 horsehair ; it is situated in thick garden and other hedges. 

 The female sits very close, so that she may even be touched 

 without leaving the nest. 



THE STABLING. 



THE Starling makes her nest of hay, straw, and fibrous 

 roots ; her favourite haunts are the gable-ends of old houses, 

 cliffs, and hollow trees. She lays four or five eggs of a 

 beautiful light blue, tinged with green. If she is left un- 

 disturbed, she will use the same nest for several years, with 

 a little repairing each spring. She is very affectionate to 



