Birds. 7475 



Materials. Green moss, dried grass, small twigs, rabbits' down and 

 sometimes feathers. " I have a siskin's nest, taken in Scotland, that 

 is built of fine grass and mosses, not one feather, a few small dead fir 

 twigs outside, and lined with fine grass and a very little wool." — 

 Mr, Bond. 



Eggs, 4, 5. " Of a bluish ground-colour, some being spotted and 

 others marked with rust-colour, either in well-defined dark spots 

 about the larger end or cloudily dispersed over the whole surface." — 

 Mr. Newton. 



Linnet, Fringilla cannahina. 



Situation. In whitethorn, blackthorn or furze bushes ; rarely in 

 trees. 



Maiei-iah. Moss, bents and wool, lined with hair and feathers. 

 " I don't think I ever saw a nest without fine fibrous roots in it : I have 

 two nests built almost entirely of fibrous roots ; one has only a small 

 quantity of wool and the other a small quantity of horsehair in addi- 

 tion."— Mr. Bond. 



Eggs, 4 — 6. White, tinged with blue and speckled with purple-red. 



Lesser Redpole, Fringilla linaria. 



Situation. In the alders or willows and sallows which so often 

 fringe the streams and ponds in mountain or lake districts. Mr. Bury 

 informs us (Zool. 643) that two nests of this little bird have been found 

 in the Isle of Wight. 



Materials. Moss and hay outside, lined with the down of the cat- 

 kins of the willow. " As smoothly lined with the beautiful white 

 catkins of the willow as a box of jewels with the finest cotton-wool." — 

 Mr. Hewitson (Zool. 3027). 



Eggs, 4, 5. Very pale blue-green, speckled about the larger end 

 with orange-red. " The eggs are sometimes so blue as to retain much 

 of the colour after they are blown." — Mr. Hewitson (Zool. 3027). 



Twite, Fringilla montium. 



Situation. "Amid the tops of the tallest heath in the mountainous 

 districts of England and Scotland." 



Materials. " Composed of dry grass and heather, lined with wool, 

 fibres of root, and the finer parts of the heath." — Mr. Selby. 



Eggs, 4, 5. " Of a pale bluish green colour, spotted with pale orange- 

 brown." — Mr. Selby. 



Bullfinch, Loxia pyrrhula. 



Situation. In very thick garden hedges and in thick bushes in 

 woods. Although the bullfinch is so common a cage-bird I have 

 known but of a single instance of its breeding in confinement: I am 



