112 BIRDS, BEASTS, AND FISHES 



their unfinished nest — some mere woven foundations, for 

 they build from the bottom, weaving as they go, without any 

 layering or orderly strata of walls. As you watch, the air 

 grows musical with their mellow whistlings, chuckling songs, 

 and short sweet refrains — sweeter than the note of any 

 vEolian harp, yet as wild and free. 



Tired of this panorama of dry frosted wood-work, for such 

 is a gorse wood seen from below, you rise and push through 

 the prickly wall, starting a whole colony of linnets from the 

 fresh green tops, driving them with cries away over the 

 marshes. Only one sits with great dignity on a furze spray 

 watching you intently — and he is grey, not in full plumage, 

 for thrice must the gorse bloom ere the nestlings don the 

 rose spots of manhood. And thus the rustic fenman believes 

 there are two kinds of linnet, the " hedge " or " grey " linnet 

 and the " blood " linnet ; and yet these twain are one — as a 

 bearded man and smooth-faced athlete are one, and yet 

 twain. 



As you hide again beneath a bramble bush, whence a 

 sluggish lurching hedge-sparrow has just been affrighted, 

 you will see that they are already beginning to return laden 

 with sheep's wool and gladen-spindle down, and perchance 

 one may fly into your bush, when he will suddenly turn 

 aside and pass off, just as a wayfarer hastily and unex- 

 pectedly met turns off with affected unconsciousness. 



Thrice do they build if robbed, so strong is the instinct to 

 rear a brood ; indeed, the gaping maws of young linnets may 

 be seen as late as harvest-time. 



If you visit linnet-land regularly these lively bright little 

 fellows will grow friendlier, for they are naturally affectionate 

 and trusting, and you may see both birds sitting in turns at 

 one end of the gorse grove, whilst in another part some pairs 

 are building, and others again are feeding their young upon 

 mashed seed — turnip for preference — from their stuffed crops, 

 their bills thrust into the nestlings' gaping maws. For they 

 feed their young like the turtle-dove ; and so loving is their 



