18G THE BIRDS OF KENT 



Dr. A. G. Butler gives the dates as follows : Eod- 

 mersham, May 27 ; Sittingbourne, May 28 ; Murston, 

 May 29 ; and he says : " The nest of the Linnet is more 

 variable than that of the Greenfinch. Of five nests 

 which I took, only one had moss in its construction ; 

 this one is somewhat slightly built for the species, but 

 the walls are strengthened with coarse straws, evidently 

 selected from a dunghill. The second, excepting that 

 it is not so deep, is not at all unlike a small nest 

 of the Yellow Bunting ; its construction is, however, 

 decidedly firmer, and the grasses used in the walls are 

 similar to what one usually sees in the nest of the 

 Greater Whitethroat. The third nest is untidy, loosely 

 put together, and has blackish, straggling roots projecting 

 from the sides. The fourth is unusually deep, and is 

 formed of roots, fibre and wool, with a few' white hairs 

 towards the interior. The fifth is a very ragged con- 

 struction, formed of coarse bleached roots, lined with 

 fine fibre and wool. No two of these nests, therefore, 

 exhibit a similar aspect. 



In his notes on the birds of Kent, 189G, Captain Boyd 

 Alexander remarks that " Linnets resort in large flocks 

 to the fallow fields, especially where charlock grows. 

 The proverb which says that ' safety lies in numbers ' 

 might well be reversed in this bird. As soon as flocking 

 takes place, the Linnets assume once more their shy 

 habits, and carefully avoid our habitations, a trait also 

 noticeable in other species of a similar timid nature. 

 The delicate vermilion that smears the breast of the male 

 Linnet is not attained till the second year. In immature 

 birds a light chocolate colour takes the place of this." 



During Mr. T. Hepburn's visit to the beach at 

 Dungeness, in 1900, he found the " Linnets nesting in 



