recollect rightly, Zstrelda amandava; at all events, I 
well recollect giving serious offence to a bird-loving lady 
who showed me what she called an ‘“ Aberdavat,”’ by 
assuring her that her pet was “only a Siskin.” During 
the winter, the only season in which I have had oppor- 
tunities of observing the Siskin in freedom, it is gene- 
rally to be met with in small flocks, clustering on alders 
or birches, and keeping up a constant musical twitter ; 
I have also frequently noticed that these birds find food 
of some sort amongst the dead sedges that fringe our 
rivers and brooks. ‘These birds will often nest and 
breed in captivity, but Professor Newton informs us 
that the young are not frequently reared in such circum- 
stance. As I have never had the good fortune to see 
either nest or eggs zz situ, I cannot do better than 
refer my readers to the very interesting article written 
by my above-named friend in Yarrell’s ‘ British Birds,’ 
ed. 4, vol. il. 
