106 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



(ante, p. 72) that it rarely forsakes its nest unless the provocation be 

 great. My impression is that when one of the Finch tribe does desert 

 its nest, it never returns to it for any purpose. To this, as to most 

 things in nature, there may be, and no doubt are, exceptions. I have 

 known a Bullfinch lay four eggs in the same nest from which the two 

 eggs had been taken a week previously, but this, in my opinion, is a 

 rare occurrence. That birds do occasionally remove their eggs there 

 can be little doubt, but whether they place them in new nests or 

 simply make away with them is a difficult matter to prove con- 

 clusively. The former seems to me extremely unlikely, as it would 

 involve hiding the eggs temporarily until the new nest was built — a 

 reasoning power which we cannot suppose that birds possess. -Though 

 I have found many nests of the Lesser Eedpoll in various situations, 

 I never yet came across one in a fir-tree. The site mentioned by Mr. 

 Butterfield must be somewhat unusual, and perhaps peculiar to those 

 localities where conifers abound. No bird, I venture to say, more 

 frequently betrays the whereabouts of its nest, in whatever stage it may 

 be, than the Redpoll ; a nest was once brought to my notice by the 

 twittering noise made by the sitting bird. — S. G. Cummings (King's 

 Buildings, Chester). 



Nesting Habits of the Lesser Redpoll (Linota rufescens). — May 

 I be allowed to give a little negative evidence on the subject broached 

 by your contributor, whose experiences lead him to suppose that the 

 above-named species easily forsakes her eggs? On June 3rd, 1899, 

 near Scarborough, I found a nest of this bird in a hazel-bush five feet 

 up. It contained three eggs. As I wanted these, I took and replaced 

 them with three eggs of the Whitethroat. Visiting the nest again on 

 June 11th, I found that the Redpoll had laid another egg in the same 

 nest amongst the introduced eggs of the Whitethroat, and was then 

 sitting upon them, all four eggs being considerably incubated. I think 

 this sufficient evidence that at least this individual bird was not very 

 sensitive to interference. I may say that I very rarely tamper with 

 birds' eggs in the way above described, and that I consider it bad 

 form. I have found several other nests and eggs of this species, but 

 have no other evidence to offer on the point raised. — W. Gyngell 

 (13, Gladstone Road, Scarborough). 



The Lesser Redpoll in Cardiganshire. — I have hitherto looked 

 upon this species as being decidedly scarce in the Aberystwyth district, 

 and was doubtful whether it nested with us ; but, having kept several 

 in an aviary during the past eighteen months, I became familiar with 

 its song and call-notes. The result was that I identified the Redpoll 



