credited, but Mr. Atkinson recorded (Zool. p. 9210) on the
authority of Mr. Guy Dawnay a supposed instance of the
Brambling breeding near Thirsk, the bird, however, which
built the nest and laid the eggs was not procured. Mr. Harvie
Brown in 1861 saw near Stirling a pair, whose actions made
him feel sure that they had a nest (Zool. s.s. pp. 69, 892).
In Germany, on evidence just as unsatisfactory, the species
has also been believed occasionally to pass the summer, and
Brehm says that it bred in his neighbourhood in 1818. In
confinement the Brambling has frequently built a nest and
laid eggs, though it does not seem to have hatched its
young. Even in Norway it does not generally breed to the
south of lat. 59° N. or in Sweden to the south of lat. 62°
N., and in both countries this boundary must be understood
to have reference only to the mountainous districts, for in
the lowlands of each its breeding-range lies far to the
northward. On the higher verge of the fir-forests, however,
it is pretty numerous in summer, and is still more abundant
where the birch becomes the prevalent growth, following
that tree to its furthest limits. The nest is usually
placed, some ten or fifteen feet from the ground, at the
base of a horizontal branch and against the bole of a
birch, or in the fork of two or more upstanding smaller
branches, which support and are often enclosed within its
walls. In substance and structure it greatly resembles that
of the Chaffinch, but is larger and less compact. The eggs
also are very like those of that species, but they more frequently
want the reddish, suffused tinge, and have the markings
better defined and less blurred, though some specimens
of each are quite indistinguishable. They vary in size from
‘78 to *67 by from *59 to *5*3 in. Not unfrequently an egg
is found in the nest in colour nearly agreeing with the rest
of its contents, but measuring from *86 to *88 by from *67
to *65 in. Such examples are believed, and perhaps correctly,
to be the produce of the Cuckow, but proof of their
parentage is as yet wanting. The cock has a song which an
unpractised ear, however, may pass many days, even in forests
where the bird is common, without catching, for it is short
and is delivered in a low undertone ending in a hoarse and
droning note, which is often the only part audible at a short
distance and is much like that uttered by the Greenfinch.
Mr. Walmesley who correctly describes the Brambling’s song
(Zool. p. 1024) seems to be alone in having heard it in
this country, except when the bird is caged, and, as Blyth
remarked (Mag. Nat. Hist, viij p. 487), it is not in the least
like a Chaffinch’s. The call-note is a single, harsh monotonous
chirp and in captivity is frequently uttered at night,
on the slightest or even without any apparent disturbance,
and so sharply as to sound like a scream of terror.
The Brambling is pretty generally distributed, subject to
the irregularity of its appearance before noticed, throughout
the British Islands in winter, its visits to the extreme
west of England depending a good deal, however, on the
severity of the weather. In Ireland, owing to the unfortunate
dearth of observers, less is known of its occurrences,
but since Thompson states that it sometimes appears in the
north by the thousand, and mentions three specimens which
had been obtained in Kerry, it evidently ranges over the
whole island, though, as Mr. Watters remarks, it gradually
decreases in numbers as it approaches the south. A small
flock has been once noticed in the Faeroes. On the continent
its breeding-range extends eastward to the Sea of Ochotsk,
and its limits in summer for Norway and Sweden have
already been approximately stated, but they cannot be defined
as regards the Russian dominions. In winter it occurs
almost all over temperate and southern Europe, and it
crosses the Mediterranean to Algeria, while it also reaches
Sicily and Malta. At the same season it also appears in
Greece, Asia Minor and Persia, after which we know little
of its limits in Asia, except that it is occasionally found in
the north-west Himalayas, till we get to China,.where Mr.
Swinhoe has obtained it so far south as Amoy, and in
Latham’s time it had been met with off the coast of Japan.
The male in summer has the bill bluish-black : the irides
brown : the whole of the head and cheeks from the corners
of the lower mandible, the nape and sides of the neck and