118 



8 



these twigs completely encircles the nest and goes halfway round it again, appearing to be 

 about twenty-eight inches in length. This network of twigs is suddenly changed into a compact 

 bedding of fine bare roots mixed with a few sprigs of hair-lichen, which form together almost a 

 separate nest inside the outer network." 



Several other nests are described in Mr. Wolley's notes, one of which is said to have been 

 lined with fine grass and hair-lichen ; and another was entirely made of fine trailing branches or 

 runners, principally of IAnnma borealis, and lined with tree-hair. Nearly all the nests appear 

 to have been in spruce trees, about twelve feet from the ground. The number of eggs deposited 

 appears to be generally four. 



I have in my collection several clutches of eggs of this bird, all from Muonioniska, which 

 are pale blue, with the faintest greenish tinge, rather darker in shade than those of the common 

 Bullfinch, and are spotted and blotched with faint purplish underlying shell-markings and dark 

 brown surface-spots. In size they average about 1 -j% by f-^ inch. I have eggs, said to be of this 

 species, taken by my brother Arthur in New Brunswick, which resemble those from Lapland, 

 but are less marked, the spots being rather duller, and are smaller in size, measuring only -f § by 

 -§£ inch. My brother (who, though a capital backwoodsman, and able to skin and preserve birds 

 as well as to snare or shoot them, has but little technical knowledge as an ornithologist, and 

 had, moreover, never seen the bird previously to having found the nest in question) wrote to me 

 that he " took the nest at Musquash, New Brunswick, on the 6th July, 1863, and saw both the 

 old birds ; the female was coloured like a female Crossbill ; and the male was red, like a male 

 Crossbill ; but both had bills like a Parrot, and were as large as a Thrush. The nest was placed 

 in a tree, and contained six eggs." The nest he did not send ; but I have the eggs yet in my 

 American collection. 



The specimens figured are an adult male, obtained at Stockholm, and a female from Calmar 

 Lan, in Sweden, these being also the specimens described ; and the young birds described were 

 shot by myself in New Brunswick, all being in my collection. 



In the preparation of the above article I have examined the following specimens : — 



E Mus. H. E. J)resser. 



a, $. Christiahia, November 1868 (R. Collett). b, 3. Stockholm, January 1862 (Meves). c, 3 , d, 3 . Stock- 

 holm, December 1871 {Meves). e, 3. Stockholm, December 1867 {Meves). f, 3. Quickjock, Sweden, 

 April 17th. g, $ . Calmar Lan, Sweden, November 9th {Wetterberg) . h, 3 . St. Petersburg, November 

 12th, 1867 {H. E. Dresser), i. Moscow (C. Sachse). k, 3 ,1, 3 ,m, 3 . Mezen, Russia {J. Piottuch) . 

 n, 3 . St.- John River, North America, December 14th, 1861 {H.E.B.). 0. Musquash, New Brunswick 

 (H. E. D.). p,%, q, 3 . Fort Rupert, Vancouver's Island (P. N. Compton) . 



E Mus. E. B. Tristram. 



a. Sweden. b,2,c,3. Carlstad, Sweden {H. Wheelwright) . d,$. North America {Buckley), e, 3 . Niagara 

 {Buckley), f. Nova Scotia {Wedderburn) . 



E Mus. E. Hargitt. 

 a, 3 , 6, $ . Stockholm, December 12th and 16th, 1871. c, ? . Carlstadt, Sweden {Wheelwright), d, 3. Carl- 

 stadt, December 1864 {Wheelwright). e,f,g. Red- River Territory, N. America {Dallas). 



