TWITE. 165 



and the remaining three pairs with white, while all have the 

 inner web more or less margined with greyish- white ; the chin 

 and throat are of a rich ochreous, which becomes paler on 

 the breast and flanks, where it is mottled with ill-defined 

 streaks of brown, and nearly white on the belly and under 

 tail-coverts, the vent being tinged with brown : legs, toes 

 and claws, very dark brown. 



The red on the rump is in winter confined to the middle 

 of the feathers, and at that season the bill is of a greyish- 

 yellow, while the longer fringes of the feathers above give 

 the bird generally a lighter and more mottled appearance. 



The whole length is five inches and a quarter : from the 

 carpal joint to the tip of the wing, three inches ; the third 

 primary is generally the longest but herein there is some indi- 

 vidual variation, the second, third and fourth being sometimes 

 equal, while the first is so small as to be easily overlooked. 



The female wants the red colour on the rump, and is also 

 lighter in colour above ; the bill, less decidedly yellow at the 

 base, is dusky brown at the tip. 



Young birds have the bill pale greyish-brown and the 

 feet light brown, otherwise they generally resemble the adult 

 females, though their darker markings are lighter in colour 

 and the white on the wings is less extensive.* 



* The removal of the last four birds from the genus Fringilla lias been so 

 commonly approved that nothing need be said on that score, but the term which 

 should be used fur the genus so as to include all of them requires some explana- 

 tion. Linaria has been employed by many writers, and so far as zoology is 

 concerned it has priority; but, having been preoccupied in botany, since 1789, 

 by no less an authority than Jussieu, it was disallowed. Before however this 

 forestalling of the name had been recognized, Brehm proposed (Isis, 1828, 

 p. 1277) to separate the Redpolls from the Linnets, retaining Linaria for the 

 former and calling the latter Cannabiva. It' we were to follow him in keeping 

 this distinction, Cannabina should certainly lie retained in the restricted sense : 

 but, as already sated, it is not intented here to alter the genera of FringiLlidte 

 before adopted in this wort, ami that word, having been first applied with a 



distinctive meaning, cannot properly be used in one thai c prehends tie- two 



groups. We accordingly come next in Linota under which the inventor de- 

 signedly embraced both. In the Redpolls it may be observed thai the crimson 

 of the crown is permanent throughout the year, and the occipital feathers are 

 erectile. In the Linnets tin' former is either wanting or usually assumed only 

 for a seasi n, and the latter lie smooth. The generic t rm /Egiothus is mm 

 commonly employed for i li< ■ l!edp<ills when ranked as distincl from the Linnets. 



