CHAFFINCH. Up 



build. It is constructed entirely by the female, though 

 the male assists in bringing the materials to hand. 

 Two broods are generally reared and the first nest is 

 commenced in April. It is placed at heights varying 

 from five to twelve feet, sometimes higher, sometimes 

 on the lichen-covered bough of a birch or ash, or in the 

 branches of the holly or yew, very frequently on the 

 limb of an apple or other fruit tree in the orchard, or 

 in a hawthorn bush. It is made of grasses and moss 

 beautifully woven together with cobwebs and lichens, 

 and lined thickly with wool, hair and feathers. It is 

 particularly noticeable with respect to the Chaffinch's 

 nest that the bird attempts to assimilate the nest to 

 the colour of the surrounding bush or tree, generally 

 with reasonable success ; if in decayed underwood, 

 you will find little pieces of decayed wood used ; if on 

 a lichen-covered branch, lichens will be used, and a 

 hawthorn bush in flower had scraps of paper used to 

 conceal the nest. The Chaffinch generally rests con- 

 tent with this ingenuity for the purposes of conceal- 

 ment, but a most remarkable instance is recorded by 

 Seebohm of the pains which a pair of birds took at 

 Bastow near the river Derwent to conceal their nest. 

 This structure had no less than two feet of moss 

 attached and hanging to it, all put together by the 

 bird, and containing also lichen and wool, the whole 

 being attached to the ivy by horsehair. The amount 

 of this material woven together was several times 

 more than that used for the nest itself. 



An amusing incident occurred at Queenwood some 

 years ago, on the occasion of the haircutter paying 

 his periodical visit to the school. A few days after his 

 departure, a Chaffinch's nest was found in the grounds 

 completely lined with the hair of one of the boys. 



