LINNET. 



appearance. His back, head and breast 

 are of a reddish-brown, with the lower 

 portion of the belly and vent of a ruddy 

 white. In the spring season the plumage 

 of his breast softens into a rich, rosy- 

 crimson, somewhat similar to, but brighter 

 than the hue of our Purple-finch, to whom 

 in appearance he is closely allied, and his 

 wings and tail are of a dark and handsome 

 brown. 



In confinement he is rather impatient, 

 and if kept along with other birds 

 very pugnacious; his song is loud, sweet 

 and harmonious, but apt, from his aptness 

 of imitation, to be spoiled; since he will 

 constantly, when in hearing of other song- 

 sters, take up and whistle their notes in 

 preference to his own. The Linnet, there- 

 fore, had better be kept apart from society, 

 as one of his sweet wild-wood strains is 

 far more pleasing, from its distinctness and 

 beauty, than the every-day song heard 

 from the throats of a dozen Canaries. 



He should be fed and treated like the 



