BRITISH BIRDS' NESTS. 151 



LINNET, 



Description of Parent Birds. Length about five 

 and a half inches. Bill short, broad at the base, 

 sharp-pointed, and bluish-grey in colour. Irides 

 hazel. The plumage is subject to great variation. 

 Forepart and top of head brownish-red ; rest of 

 head, back, and sides of neck brownish -grey ; back 

 and upper wing-coverts deep rufous-brown ; wing- 

 quills dusky, edged with white ; upper tail-coverts 

 dark brown ; tail-quills brownish-black, edged with 

 white, except the two centre feathers. Chin and 

 throat and under-parts dirty reddish-brown, the red 

 being brightest on the breast and very variable in 

 its intensity, some having very little of it present. 

 Legs, toes, and claws brown. 



The female is a trifle smaller, lacks the red on 

 the top of the head and breast, the feathers on her 

 head, neck, back, and rump being dark-brown, edged 

 with a paler tint of the same colour ; her under- 

 parts are dull yellowish-brown, streaked with dark 

 brown. She is said to have less white on the 

 wing- quills. 



Situation and Locality. Furze bushes, white 

 and black thorn bushes, heath, juniper bushes, 

 amongst tall heather, and even on the ground upon 

 rare occasions. Our illustration is from a photo- 

 graph obtained on a common near Lowestoft. It is 

 one of two or three which I found, and sent my 

 brother specially down to photograph. He has, 

 however, exposed the nest, and raised the eggs a 

 trifle too much. The nest is met with on furze- 

 clad sides of hills, commons, and rough uncul- 

 tivated lands covered with heather, furze, and 

 ling, throughout the British Isles. 



