ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF THE SISKIN. 339 



The first occasion on which I discovered a Siskin's nest was 

 on May 21st, 1886, as announced in 'The Zoologist' for that 

 year (p. 489). This nest was built near the end of a branch, at 

 the top of a large Scotch fir, but was plundered either by Magpies 

 or Squirrels shortly after the eggs were laid. VVitli great difficulty 

 I succeeded in securing the nest itself by cutting off the branch, 

 and gave it to Mr, A. G. More for the Science and Art Museum, 

 Dublin. 



This year I determined to watch the Siskins closely, and to 

 make every eff'ort to discover some more nests, to obtain the 

 eggs, and to find out as much as possible about the habits of the 

 birds and their distribution during the breeding season. The 

 result has been the discovery of four nests, two of which 

 I obtained with the full complement of eggs. The first nest 

 above mentioned contained five young on April 29th, and was 

 situated in a small Scotch fir, very near the top, at the insertion 

 of two of the lateral branches. On May 12th two young Siskins 

 were fully fledged and left the nest. 



As I was particularly anxious to obtain the eggs, this nest 

 was rather a disappointment to me, but knowing that there were 

 many pairs of Siskins near the same part of the wood, I continued 

 my search in the neighbourhood of the first nest. I had seen a 

 pair of Siskins about a Douglas fir, and had noticed the hen bird 

 returning several times to a certain spot on a branch, which made 

 me suspect that she had selected it as a building site, though 

 the nest was then not yet commenced. I revisited the tree on 

 May 4th, several days afterwards, when I found the nest com- 

 pleted. It was near the top of the tree on a lateral branch, some 

 distance from the main stem. On the 10th five eggs had been 

 laid, and the nest and eggs were then safely secured. 



I subsequently discovered two more nests, both on May 24th. 

 One of these was built at the top of a tall lichen-covered spruce- 

 fir, against the main stem, and contained one young bird about 

 half-grown. The other nest, the fourth which I found, was 

 situated in a tall larch, near the end of a long lateral branch 

 some twenty-five feet from the ground, and when found had only 

 just been commenced, but must have been finished within two or 

 three days, for when I took it with five eggs, on June 3rd, the 

 eggs were already incubated. As may be imagined from its 

 position it was no easy matter to reach this nest ; but I succeeded 



