ON THE ORNITHOLOGY OF LAPLAND. 307 



both species is placed (almost invariably) in a 

 small pine, near to the top, close in to the stem, 

 never in a deep forest, but always with us on a 

 stony rise, where the pines are small and wide 

 apart. The parrot crossbill generally goes to nest 

 a little later than the common one. By the middle 

 or end of April the young birds are strong flyers, 

 and we never take a nest with eggs after that month. 

 The nest of both species is much alike (that of the 

 parrot crossbill thickest and largest), built out- 

 wardly of dry fir sticks, lined thickly with moss 

 and grass. The eggs much resemble those of the 

 green linnet, but are always larger. The egg of the 

 parrot crossbill is often scarcely larger than that 

 of the common bird, although usually it is thicker 

 and has a finer and bolder character. The full 

 number of eggs appears to be three, and it is very 

 rarely that we find four in a nest. Some natura- 

 lists say that the crossbills breed at all seasons, 

 from December to June, and that the winter nest 

 is domed, with a hole in the side to go in at. All 

 I can say is (and I have had now some years' ex- 

 perience with these birds), that I consider their 

 breeding season as regular as that of any other 

 bird, at the period I have before stated ; and as 

 for a domed nest, I never saw such a thing. I 

 have often wondered why nature should have 

 neglected this provision as regards the crossbill, 



