6 
I found it breeding in the fir-woods in Finland late in April or early in May; but the time 
of nidification appears to vary somewhat. Mr. Collett writes to me that in Norway it is as 
irregular as regards the time of nidification as the Crossbill; for in some seasons, when the seeds 
of Abies ecxcelsa are plentiful, it breeds in March or April, when the snow is still in the woods; 
and in other seasons, when the seed-crop is short, it does not nest until May or June. In 1863 
he found several nests containing young in the middle of April; so that the eggs must have been 
deposited in March. ‘The nests are built in a juniper- or spruce-bush in open parts of the forest, 
and are constructed of spruce-twigs and bents, carefully lined with the cotton of the Salix and a 
few feathers. The young are fed chiefly with aphides; and their parents continue to feed them 
for some time after they are fully grown. The nest is usually carefully concealed ; and from that 
circumstance and its small size it is exceedingly hard to find. Both the male and the female 
assist in its construction, and will sometimes commence a nest and then leave it, and recom- 
mence their labours, until they find the structure to their hking. The number of eggs deposited 
varies from four to five, and sometimes six. I possess but one clutch, obtained near Uleaborg, 
in Finland. They are pale greenish or sea-green, minutely spotted, chiefly round the larger end, 
with pale red. In size they average 73 by 49 inch. 
The specimens figured are an adult male and a female in spring plumage, both being in my 
own collection. 
In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens :— 
E Mus. H. E. Dresser. 
a,3,6,3. Hampstead, December 15th, 1871 (Davy). c, d,e, f, 9, h, 1,7, k, l, m. Aboyne, September 23rd, 
1871 (R. B. Sharpe). n,3,0,2,p,2. Stockholm, August 17th, 1871 (Meves). g,2,7,6,5,6,¢6,9. 
Stockholm, April 14th, 1872 (Meves). wu. Spain (Irby). 
EK Mus. Howard Saunders. 
a, dg. Valencia, January 19th. 6,3, c, 2. Valencia, February 6th. d,¢. Granada, March. e, ¢. Granada, 
April. f,3,9,2,4,¢6. Malaga, November 10th and 27th. 
E Mus. C. A. Wright. 
a. Malta, October (C. A. W.). 
