THE LINNET. 69 



but no crimson ; hind-neck, sides of neck, and ear-coverts greyer 

 and more uniform ; mantle and scapulars chestnut with blackish- 

 brown streaks and dark buff edges ; back and rump paler and 

 more uniform ; upper tail-coverts black, fringed broadly dark and 

 pale buff ; lores and line round eye buff ; chin and throat buff with 

 broad streaks of greyish-black ; breast pink, concealed by bufE 

 fringes ; flanks buff, streaked chestnut-brown ; belly pale buff ; 

 vent whitish ; under tail-coverts pale buff with black mesial 

 stripes ; axillaries white ; tail brown-black, central pair edged 

 buff, rest with narrow white edgings to outer webs and broad 

 ones to inner webs ; primaries as tail-feathers, white edgings to 

 inner five feathers conspicuous ; secondaries and primary- coverts 

 same but outer webs fringed buflf not white, innermost secondaries 

 and wing-coverts like mantle. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult from August to October. Summer. — ^No moult. 

 Abrasion greatly alters appearance which varies according to 

 amount of wear. In much worn examples (July) centre of crown 

 is crimson ; rest of crown, nape, hind-neck, sides of neck, and 

 ear-coverts brownish-grey ; mantle, scapulars, and wing-coverts 

 almost uniform chestnut ; chin and throat greyish-white with 

 brown streaks ; breast crimson (varying in extent) ; belly greyish- 

 white ; flanks almost uniform chestnut-buflE. N.B. — ^The most 

 worn examples are usually brightest and most uniform, but there 

 is considerable individual variation. In Redpolls, Linnets, 

 Crossbills and Grosbeaks, not only the tips and edges of the 

 feathers wear down but the radii also : in the crimson feathers 

 only the rami are pink, and these are divided by grey radii which 

 wear away and thus cause the pink rami to show up brilliantly. 

 Wild birds occasionally, and birds which have moulted in 

 captivity always, have dull gold instead of pink on crown and 

 breast. 



Adult female. Winter and summer. — Resembling adult male 

 but with no pink ; darker, more heavily streaked brown-black, 

 and less chestnut on upper-parts ; streaked dark brown on 

 breast and flanks. 



Nestling. — Down, grey ; distribution, inner supra-orbital, 

 occipital, humeral, spinal, ulnar, femoral, ventral, and crural. 

 Mouth, inside deep orange ; no spots. (A. G. Leigh, Brit. B., 

 m, p. 154.) 



Juvenile. — Much resembling adult winter-female but chin 

 and throat almost uniform buffish-white and without decided 

 dark streaks ; dark streaks much narrower on upper-parts, breast, 

 and flanks. Male considerably more chestnut-buff on upper-parts 

 than female. 



First winter and summer. — ^Male and female like adults. The 

 juvenile body-feathers and inner secondaries are moulted in 

 August and September, but not remiges, primary-coverts, or 

 rectrices. 



