MOUNTAIN FINCH. 
195 
close to a shrub on a tuft of grass. Outside of the nest 
of moss, lined with hair. From this nest I removed four 
eggs on the 1st of August. On the 17th of June, 1810, 
they laid again, having built in the ivy. This nest I did 
not disturb, and although the eggs were hatched, they 
did not succeed in rearing the young ones.” 
Soon after these notes were sent to me, Mr. Dasliwood 
ceased to keep these birds in confinement; he has, how¬ 
ever, supplied me very liberally with two other examples 
of the egg to figure. 
In a state of nature the Brambling would not have 
built its nest upon the ground. 
Mr. Wolley, who states that the Brambling breeds 
plentifully near Muonioniska although he arrived there 
last summer too late to obtain the eggs, has sent me the 
following descriptions of three nests which he saw in the 
museum at Stockholm. 
One, which was like the nest of the chaffinch and con¬ 
tained five eggs also like the eggs of the chaffinch, was 
built principally of lichens and fine grass, with a few 
feathers inside, A second, “taken on the 18th of June, 
is made chiefly of the black, hair-like, lichen which hangs 
from the fir-trees in these far northern regions. The 
third nest was found on the 8th of June, and is made 
of hair, feathers, grass, and moss, and has a good many 
feathers in the lining; it contains six eggs.” 
Whilst on our way towards the north, June 8th, we 
saw some of the Bramblings in the pine forests of Nor¬ 
way, but searched till we were weary for their nests to 
no purpose. On our return homewards through the same 
district, July 1st, we had, however, the mortification of 
knowing that the nests must have been there, for the 
o 
birds which we had seen before were now accompanied 
by their young ones. 
