158 FRINGILLID.E. 



brown, with lighter brownish-grey edges ; the back and upper 

 wing-coverts, dark brown, the margin of each feather being 

 lighter ; the qnills remain as in summer ; but the throat, 

 breast, belly and lower tail-coverts, are pale wood-brown, 

 with conspicuous streaks of dark brown on the breast. 



Males when caged never acquire the fine crimson seen on 

 the head and breast of wild birds ; and such as are caught 

 when possessing it speedily lose it in captivity. Naturalists 

 generally believe that this brilliant tint is not assumed till 

 the second year or even till after the second moult*, but it is 

 an undoubted fact that many Linnets are found breeding 

 without the red breast, and this, as would appear, especially 

 in the north of England, though in the south some trace of 

 the ruddy colouring may nearly always be found in the 

 summer-plumage of the cocks. Its development indeed 

 seems due, as was stated long ago by Temminck and since 

 confirmed by Gloger, Macgillivray and Herr Meves, to the 

 weathering of the brown fringes of the feathers, may be 

 through rain, and possibly also to the action of light in dissi- 

 pating the duller hues. To this last cause perhaps may be 

 attributed the alleged fact of the INIadeiran examples retain- 

 ing their ga}' tints all the year round. 



The whole length is about five inches and three-quarters : 

 from the carpal joint to the tip of the wing, three inches and 

 an eighth ; the second primary is usually the longest, but 

 there is some individual variation in this respect, the third 

 being occasionally longer than the second, but both are 

 always longer than the fourth, which is about a quarter of an 

 inch longer than the fifth, while the first as stated among the 

 generic characters is so small as to be easily overlooked. 



The female is a little smaller than the male, and has the 

 upper parts dark brown, each feather, however, being broadly 

 edged with light rufous-brown ; while the lower parts are 

 dull ochreous-brown, slightly tinged with rufous, and streaked 



* Mr. Hancock, however, lias very recently stated " that the males, from shed- 

 ding the ne>t feathers get a red breast, which they retain only daring the first 

 season ; they then assume the ^arb of the female, which is retained for the rest of 

 their live?." With the greatest respect to the experience, judgment and acute 

 observation of his friend, the Editor is compelled to think this opinion mistaken. 



