82 HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS 



TWITE. Linota fiavirostris (Linnaeus). PI. 13, fig. 19. 

 Length, 5*25 in. ; wing, 3 in. ; tarsus, 0*65 in. 



A winter visitant to the south, nesting in the 

 north of England and Scotland, and according to 

 Mr. A. G. More, in Ireland from north to south. A 

 pair nested in an aviary in Yorkshire (ZooL, 1895, 

 p. 381). 



The name Twite, from its note, is significant ; 

 "Mountain Linnet," sometimes applied to this bird, 

 is a misnomer (ZooL, 1886, p. 220). It is a more 

 slender and elegant bird than the Common Linnet, 

 from which it may be distinguished by its relatively 

 longer tail, which is forked, and by its yellow beak, 

 whence its Latin n^ioae Jlavirostris. 



MEALY REDPOLL. Linota linaria (Linnaeus). PL 13, 

 figs. 15, 16. Length, 5-26 in. ; wing, 2-9 in. ; tarsus, 

 0-6 in. 



An irregular winter visitant to England and 

 Scotland. Rarely met with in Ireland, the first 

 recorded specimen having been shot on the 9th Feb- 

 ruary 1876 (Field, March 4, 1876) at Levitstown, 

 Athy ; others on the Tearaght Rock, Co. Kerry, Sept., 

 Oct. and Nov. 1889-93 (Barrington, Zool, 1891, 

 p. 186, and 1897, p. 513). Two more were shot on 

 Achill Island in February 1893 (Zool, 1894, p. 152). 



An unusual number of Mealy Redpolls visited 

 the south of England towards the end of 1895. At 

 Dover the bird-catchers took as many as 200 in 



