About six (perhaps seven) eggs were laid, in colour something

between that of the eggs of the Nightingale and Sedge Warbler, a slightly

olivaceous stone-brown, and in size a little larger than those of a Skylark

with more nearly the form of those of a Blackbird. They are very

minutely speckled with dark brown, most of the dots being like the finest

pin-pricks but one or two slightly larger.


It is probable that the eggs of this, as of the Common Ouail, may

vary a good deal ; but I should be surprised to see pale green unspotted

eggs such as Jerdou describes and Capt. Legge extracted from the oviduct

of a bird which he shot in Ceylon : I quite think (with Capt. Legge) that

the colouring of this egg was undeveloped.


In the ' Birds of Ceylon' there is a good deal of information about

the Chinese Quail, but the author states that very little is known respecting

the nest or eggs.


A. G. BUTI.KR.



CROSSBILLS.


Sir, — Yesterday morning, 31st of August, I several times noticed an

unfamiliar call-note in the garden, and, later on in the day, came upon a.

pair of Crossbills busy among some fir-trees. The birds allowed me tO'

approach within a few feet of them as they swung from the fir-cones^

twisting out the seeds with their powerful bills. They were about the

garden the whole da}-.


Is this not an unusual time of the year for Crossbills to visit Kent ?'

I wonder if they have been observed in other places lately.


Bernard C. Thomasset.



NESTING OF THE AFRICAN FIREFINCH.


Sir, — Most people find that it takes them more than all their time

to keep Firefinclies alive, let alone anything else : and therefore I venture

to think that these few notes on the nesting of the species may be of

interest to our members.


1 bought ten Firefinches in the summer of 1897, and was so fortunate

as to lose none of them. They wintered with my other birds in a perfectly

cold indoor aviary, and seemed to care nothing for the weather. They are

in lovely plumage, the cocks like little rubies for splendour.


This summer a pair set their hearts on reproducing their species.^

They built a snug nest in a cocoa-nut husk hung low down, the said nest

being composed of hay and feathers. Two eggs were laid, fairly large for

the size of the bird, and the hen sat most steadily. One egg was hatched,

the other being unfertile. The youngster has now flown, and is a very

vigorous little thing ; it is brown all over, with just a little patch of dull

red on the rump ; no eye-marks, black beak, darkish legs, and without any

of the distinguishing marks of the old birds.


I have never heard j'et of a case of Firefinches rearing young, so I

thought I would send you this account.


C. D. Farrar.



