68 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



an unmoulted buff -edged inner secondary. The juvenile body- 

 feathers, wing-coverts, and innermost secondaries are moulted 

 in early autumn, but not other wing-feathers, primary-coverts, 

 or tail. 



Measurements arid structure. — ,^ wing 75-79 mm., tail 47-51, 

 tarsus 13.5-15, bill from skull 8.5-9.5 (10 measured). $ wing 

 73-76. Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 3rd and 4th about 

 equal and longest, 2nd and 5th 1-2 mm. shorter, 6th 7-9 shorter ; 

 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries equal 10th 

 primary, square-tipped and notched. Tail fairly deeply forked. 

 Bill thick and deep at base, tapering sharply to point. Nostrils 

 covered with short bristle-like feathers, and similar ones at gape. 



Soft parts. — Bill horn-brown, paler under lower mandible ; 

 legs and feet and iris brown. 



Characters and allied forms. — In C. c. corsicana (Corsica) 

 mantle of male is more rusty-brown with darker streaks, under- 

 parts paler yellow. Grey nape and sides of neck and uniform, 

 unstreaked under-parts distinguish it at once from Siskin and 

 Serin, while latter has much shorter and thicker bill. 



Breeding-habits. — Haunts mountain-sides and breeds chiefly in 

 large conifers, often at considerable heights, but occasionally also 

 in thatched roofs of alpine huts, according to some writers. 

 Nest. — Beautifully built of grasses, moss, and lichens, lined 

 hair, feathers and down, and decorated with cocoons outside. 

 Eggs. — 4-5, pale bluish in ground-colour, with usual red-brown 

 streaks and spots as in Siskin and Goldfinch. Average of 41 eggs, 

 16.5 X 12.59 mm. Breeding-season. — Begins end April in Switzer- 

 land, but eggs may be found till late June, so possibly two broods 

 are reared. Incubation. — Period not precisely known. 



Food. — Chiefly seeds of fir and spruce, as well as of various plants, 

 especially dandelion, also buds and small insects. 



Distribution. — England. — One. Female, Yarmouth (Norfolk), 

 Jan. 29, 1904 (J. H. Gurney, ZooL, 1905, p. 91). 



Distribution. — Abroad. — Mountain-systems of central and south 

 Europe. Replaced by a local race in Corsica and Sardinia. 



CARDUELIS CANNABINA 



27. Carduelis cannabina cannabina (L.) — THE LINNET. 



Fringilla cannabina Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 182 (1758 — 



Europe. Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Linota cannabina (Linnaeus), Yarrell, 11, p. 153 ; Saunders, p. 187. 



Description. — Adtilt nrnle. Winter. — Crown streaked blackish- 

 brown and buff with concealed spots of dull crimson ; nape same 



