028 Mr. J. D. D. La Touclie— Field-Notes 



on 



It breeds in May and June, generally building in high or, 

 at least, medium-sized trees, and, as a rule, on a large 

 horizontal bough at some distance from the trunk. An 

 empty nest seen on June 18 was placed in the midst of a 

 creeper in which the branch was partly wrapped up. This 

 Hawfinch seems fond of the company of other birds, often 

 building on trees where Blackbirds and Blue-winged Magpies 

 have their nests. 



I obtained at Chinkiang four nests with eggs. One, con- 

 taining two stale eggs, was brought to me on June 14, 1903. 

 On May 29 of the following year I took two nests, one 

 containing four eggs nearly hard-set and another three that 

 were fresh, while on June 5 following I found a fourth nest, 

 which, as it contained but one egg, I left alone, sending 

 a man to take it five days later. The two nests taken on 

 May 29 are fairly deep cups, built in two parts. The inner 

 part is a strong fabric of bamboo-leaves and. coarse grass- 

 blades firmly welded together with mud, and perhaps also 

 with cobwebs ; wrapping up the walls of this inner structure 

 is a casing of tendrils and fine twigs or coarse grass-stems, 

 the base of the inner cup having rested on the branch itself. 

 The lining is of slender roots with a few fine bamboo-leaves, 

 and the edge of the nest is rather well finished and rounded 

 off with the material of both the inner and the outer portions. 

 Measurements: inner depth, If and 2 in. ; inner diameter, 

 a little under and a little over 3 in. ; outer depth, about 

 3 in. ; outer diameter (irregular), 5 in. and above. The nest 

 brought on June 14, 1903, resembles the others, but the 

 outer casing of twigs is missing (lost in taking, no doubt), 

 while a certain amount of wool and a little moss enter into 

 its composition. Its inner measurements are : depth, 

 If in. ; diameter, 3 x 3j iu. The fourth nest, brought to 

 me on June 10, 1904 (said to be the one found by me 

 on the 5th and subsequently deserted), is of a very different 

 appearance. The materials are much the same as those 

 of the other nests, but the bamboo-leaves composing the 

 inner cup are not welded together and are quite loose, 

 the outer casing of twigs is under as well as round this 



