The Twite 8i 



Favnly—FRLYGILLID.E. Subfamily— FRLXG ILL I l\L-E. 



The Tamte. 



Acaiithis /lavuvsh'is, LiNN. 



ON tlie Continent the Twite, according to Dr. Sliarpe, is generally distributed 

 throughout Europe, west of Russia, and south of the Baltic, breeding in 

 Scandinavia. Howard Saunders observes that it "is found in summer 

 among the islands and along the coast of Norway up to about 70° N. lat., but 

 in Sweden it is scarce even in the sub-alpine districts, and it is somewhat doubtful 

 if it nests in Northern Russia. On migration it visits Denmark and Northern 

 Germany — sometimes passing in large numbers over Heligoland — Holland, Belgium, 

 and France; but it seldom goes far south, and its occurrences in Spain, Ital}^, 

 and Southern Russia, are few and far between." 



In England during the breeding-season the Twite occurs locally in suitable 

 localities from the midlands northwards; in Wales, according to J. H. Salter, it 

 is almost unknown as a breeding species. A nest was taken at Westward Ho ! 

 in 1904, and a supposed nest of this species in Surrey in 1S94 ; in Scotland 

 and Ireland it is pretty generally distributed, being especially abundant in the 

 west of Scotland, the Hebrides, Orkneys, and Shetlands. 



The adult male in breeding plumage has the feathers of the crown, nape, and 

 back ruddy olive-brown, with blackish centres and paler edges ; the rump rose- 

 red ; wings dark brown ; the median and greater coverts with paler edges, whitish 

 towards the tips; the quills with pale edges; the inner primaries margined, and 

 the secondaries tipped with white ; tail-feathers blackish-brown, the three outer 

 pairs with whitish edges. A superciliary streak, the lores, ear-coverts, and cheeks 

 rufous-brown, the ear-coverts with dusky streaks ; under parts mostly pale tawny- 

 brown, clearest on the throat ; centre of breast and abdomen sordid white, as are 

 the under tail-coverts ; sides of breast and flanks streaked with blackish ; beak 

 pale ochre-yellow ; feet dark brown ; iris hazel. The female has no rose-red on 

 the rump ; and in width of crown and beak differs as does the Linnet. After the 

 autumn moult this species shows less of the dark centres to the feathers, and 

 the beak becomes paler. Young birds nearly resemble the female, but have some- 

 what more dusky beaks; the males, however, show a tinge of rose-reddish on the 

 rump. 



