COMMON LINNET. 503 



The propriety of advancing the Linnets, of which there 

 are many species, to generic distinction among the Finches, 

 appears to be admitted by many of the naturalists of the 

 present day ; but the term Linaria, which has latterly been 

 applied to them, has been considered objectionable and even 

 inadmissible, from the circumstance of this word having been 

 employed in botany more than two hundred years.* 



From the great changes which our Common Linnet un- 

 dergoes at different periods of the year, it was long supposed 

 that there were two species included under this name, and 

 the specific terms linota and cannabina were applied to them, 

 as a reference to the synonymes of Pennant, JMontagu, and 

 Bewick, here quoted, will show. These seasonal changes 

 and appearances are now better understood, and in the case 

 of our Common Linnet, under consideration, are known to 

 constitute only the summer and winter plumage of the same 

 individual species. It is obviously an advantage to combine 

 the two specific words by which the Linnet has hitherto been 

 systematically known, and I therefore adopt the term Linota 

 for the generic term, as proposed by Charles Lucian Bona- 

 parte, Prince of Musignano, in his Geographical and Com- 

 parative List of the Birds of Europe and North America. 

 One other additional advantage is also gained ; — our Lesser 

 Redpole will still retain the specific name of linaria, by 

 which it has been so long known, and thus another change 

 will be avoided. 



* The term Linaria was employed in Botany to distinguish certain species 

 of toadflax, by Fabius Columna, who published in 1616, and this word was 

 probably so used even before that date. It was again made use of by Caspar 

 Bauhim in his Pinax, published in 1671. In 1699 this word was adopted by 

 Tournefort, in his InstiUttiones Rei Herhariie, and the characters of the genus 

 are beautifully illustrated in Tab. 76 of that work ; seven species were then de- 

 scribed as belonging to this genus, and the name was continued by Jussieu in 

 his Genera Plantarum, published in 1789. Linnaeus did not adopt the genus 

 Linaria, but included the species in his genus Antirrhinum ; in this arrange- 

 ment, however, the example of Linnxus has not been followed by systematic 

 botanists, who still continue to use and refer to the generic term Linaria. 



