NOTES. 189 



in 1908 was on May 14th. This year I made an exhaustive 

 search in April in the district where the Siskin is most 

 common in Wicklow, and the first nest I found to contain 

 a full clutch was on May 2nd, and no broods were fledged 

 until the end of the month. 



Details of Siskins' Nests in North Wicklow. 



4.7.08. 5 eggs ; incubation begun. 



25.7.08. 4 eggs fresh ; 4 eggs ; incubation begun ; 4 eggs hare- 



set ; 5 eggs chipping. 



2.5.09. 4 eggs fresh. 

 8.5.09. Nest building. 



9.5.09. 4, 3, 2, 3, eggs fresh ; 3 eggs hard set. 



15.5.09. 3, 5, eggs fresh ; 4 young, week old. 

 16.5.09. 5 young, about 4 days old. 



22.5.09. 5, 4, eggs fresh ; 4 young, about 3 days old. 

 30.5.09. 4 eggs fresh. 

 3.6.09.. 5 eggs fresh. 



5.6.09. 5, 5, 4, eggs fresh; 2 young (and 1 addled egg). . 

 6.6.09. 5 eggs fresh ; 4 young. 



Positions of Nests. 



In Larch (3), Scotch Fir (6), Spruce (15), Ornamental Fir (3). 

 Height from ground varied from 10 to 50 feet ; 7 were at 50, 9 at 40, 

 2 at 35, 2 at 30, 3 at 25, 2 at 20, 2 at 15, and 1 at 10 feet. 



The North Wicklow eggs are of two types — the common 

 one being clear, pale blue, with pale red spots and streaks, 

 and deep red-brown outer spots. The uncommon type is 

 very pale blue, looking cream-colour until blown, and is 

 spotted with pale red with practically no deeper marks. 



On a few occasions I have found an almost fully fledged 

 young bird dead in the nest ; probably when the brood left 

 these birds were unable to follow and were forsaken by the 

 pai-ents. 



On May 23rd, 1908, 1 took a nest containing four eggs from 

 a larch-tree only ten feet from the ground. On June 27th a 

 nest containing three eggs of a similar (an uncommon) type 

 was in exactly the same spot. 



On April 23rd, 1909, I was watching a pair of Siskins 

 building, when a male Chaffinch flew down to the nest and 

 commenced pulling out the inside ; the Siskins, although 

 flying about in great excitement, made no effort to drive the 

 intruder off. The nest contained four eggs, however, on 

 May 2nd. 



On May 5th, 1909, I watched a pair of Siskins building in 

 a larch- tree, the nest was quite low down — about fifteen feet. 

 On May 15th I was astonished to flush a Chaffinch from the 

 nest, which contained four eggs of this species. The Chaffinch 

 had completed a nest on the partially made one of the Siskin. 



Clutches of three and four I found common, five the 

 exception. I have never seen six. R. Hamilton-Hunter. 



