153 MOUNTAIN FINCH. 



ground, close to a shrub or a tuft of grass. The out- 

 side of the nest was made of moss, and it was lined 

 with hair. From this nest I removed four eggs on the 

 1st. of August: on the 17th. of June, 1840, they laid 

 again, having built in the ivy. This nest I did not 

 disturb, and although the eggs were hatched, they did 

 not succeed in rearing the young ones." 



In the ''Account of the Birds found in Norfolk," 

 the authors mention the following instance, or rather 

 instances, of these birds nesting in confinement, com- 

 municated to them by a gentleman residing near 

 Norwich. A pair of Bramblings built a nest in an 

 aviary in the last week of the month of June, 1842, 

 and two eggs were laid, both of which were removed 

 and found to be good. In June, 1843, the same birds 

 again nested, and the female laid two eggs, and these 

 having been removed, they formed a second nest in 

 a different spot, in which four eggs were deposited. 



The last nest, together with the eggs, was accidentally 

 destroyed, and it was not ascertained whether the eggs 

 laid during the year were good or not. 



The eggs are four or five in number, of a pale 

 greyish colour, spotted with reddish brown. 



The first figure is from an egg laid in the aviary 

 of Mr. Dashwood, of Beccles. The second is from 

 a specimen in the cabinet of J. R. De C. Wise, Esq. 



