LINNET. 109 
there can be no doubt they are highly serviceable to the agriculturist. 
They usually keep to themselves, but very often a few birds will intermingle 
with Greenfinches, Twites, Redpoles, or Chaffinches. The flight of the 
Linnet is rapid but undulating. A flock will sometimes wheel and poise 
in the air, displaying great powers of wing, especially when alarmed from 
their feeding-places. Upon the ground this bird hops with ease, and also 
displays considerable dexterity in clinging to the stems of weeds, such as 
thistles and docks. 
The food of the Linnet is largely composed of seeds of various kinds. 
It does not feed much on grain, although it is sometimes seen on the newly 
sown wheat-fields ; but it eats the seeds of the smaller plants, especially of 
those that are troublesome to the farmer, such as docks, nettles, dandelions, 
thistles, charlocks, &c. It is also, as is well known, very fond of hemp 
and kindred seeds. Insects doubtless form part of its food in summer; but 
Naumann states that it feeds its young on seeds carefully shelled and 
partially softened in its crop. In winter it is said to feed on various 
berries ; and Macgillivray states that it has been known to eat oats. _ 
Although the Limnet is a resident in this country it is probable that 
many, if not most of the birds of the year join the flocks of this species 
that pass our islands every autumn, and migrate further south with 
them. On the east coast, flocks of these birds may be seen as early as 
July frequenting the weedy pastures and the “ denes ” or “links,” as these 
sand-hills are locally called. In autumn they are joined by other migrants, 
probably from the continent. Dixon has seen flocks of Linnets arriving 
at intervals, day after day, from the sea on the Lincolnshire coast, and 
passing south-west together with Redwings and other birds; whilst on the 
south coast great numbers are caught during the autumn migration at 
Brighton and other places. 
The adult male Linnet in breeding-plumage has a crimson frontal patch 
reaching to the centre of the crown; the rest of the head, the nape, and 
the sides of the neck are brownish grey, shading into chestnut-brown on 
the back and mto pale chestnut-brown on the rump, each feather, including 
the wing-coverts and innermost secondaries, having an obscure dark centre ; 
the upper tail-coverts are blackish brown, broadly edged with buftish white ; 
the quills are dark brown, margined with white on the outer web; the 
tail-feathers are dark brown, with white margins, which are especially 
broad on the inner webs; the general colour of the underparts is buff, 
shading into dull chestnut-brown on the flanks and into buffish white on 
the belly and under tail-coverts, and richly suffused with carmine-red on 
the breast ; there are a few indistinct dark streaks on the chin, throat, flanks, 
and under tail-coverts. Bill lead-colour, paler at the base of the lower 
mandible; legs, feet, and claws brown; irides hazel. The female differs 
from the male in having no crimson on the crown or breast, in having the 
