1. IX OTA. 



I.1XOTA. 



ad P. Jtvufimm, which h remarks have Uo been confounded. The 

 hort character given by him to hu Gro*-Bee Linotte ( Fringitla r<mi- 

 KM, Una.), is, " Bill hort, of the width of the front, bUckuh ; throat 

 rhiUh. marked in the middle by *ome brown ipoU;" n<i he thus 

 deecribre the various state* of plumage, ud the synonym* of the bird 



Old Male in the Spring. Feather* of the front, of the breast, ud 

 of the lateral part* of the Utter, of a crimson-red, terminated by a 

 narrow bonier of rosy-red ; throat and front of the neck whitish, with 

 longitudinal brown marking* ; top of the bead, nape, and side* of the 

 neck of a pure ash ; back, scapulars, ud wing-covert*, chestnut-brown; 

 tank* redduA-brown ; middle of the belly ud abdomen white ; some 

 of the quills black, bordered externally with white ; tail forked, black ; 

 the feather* edged externally with white ud bordered internally by a 

 large white (pace; iris brown; bill deep-bluish; feet ruddy-brown, 

 more or lee* pale. I/ength 5 inches. 



Male after the Autumnal Moult, at the Age of a Full Year. On 

 the top of the head large black rpots ; the back reddish, with spota of 

 chestnut-brown, bordered with whitish-brown ; breast red-ash brown, 

 or red-brown, with border* of whitish-red ; brown spota well marked 

 on the flanks, upper tail-covert* black, bordered internally with white 

 and externally with grayish-red. (On raising the feathers of the front 

 and those of the breast the trace* of the red colours which ornament 

 the bird in the spring may be seen.) 



In this state M. Temminck consider* it to be Prinyilla Linota, 

 Oroelin; Latham, ' Ind.,' v. 1, p. 457, sp. 81; La Linotte Ordinaire, 

 Buflbo, Ois., 1 v. 4 p. 58, t 1; Id.. 'PL EnL, 1 151; f. 1; Glrard, 

 'Tab. EU<m.,' v. 1, p. 188; Common Linnet, Lath., 'Syn., 1 v. 3, p. 802. 



The female, which does not change colour after arriving at the adult 

 state, is smaller than the male ; all the upper part* are of an ashy- 

 yellowish, sprinkled with blackish-brown spota ; wing-coverts of a 

 tarninhed red-brown ; lower parta bright-reddish, but whitish on the 

 middle of the belly, and sprinkled on the flanks with numerous 

 blackish-brown spots. 



Young male* till the spring have the top of the head and the back 

 reddish-brown, marked with deep-brown lanceolate spota ; cheeks and 

 nape ashy ; all the lower parta of a slightly reddish-white, marked on 

 the middle of the throat and on the breast with longitudinal spota of 

 a deep brown*, large reddish-brown spota on the sides ; and large 

 lanceolate blackish spota on the covert* of the tail; feet flesh-colour ; 

 base of the bill livid-blue : it i* then the bird given by Meyer, ' Vog. 

 DeutachL' ud by Fri*ch, ' Vog.,' t 9, f. A and a 



For the old birds, male and female, M. Temminck brings together 

 the following synonyms and reference* : Fringilla cannabina, Omel., 

 Syat,' 1, p. 916, sp. 28: Lath., 'Ind., 1 v. 1, p. 458, *p. 82; Retz., 

 ' Kann. Suec.,' p. 247, No. 226 ; La Grande Linotte de Vignes, Buff. 

 ' Ois., 1 v. 4, p. 58 ; Id., ' PL EnL 1 486, f. 1 (the male putting on his 

 plumage), and 'PI. EnL 1 151, f. 2 (the very old male, under the faUe 

 name of Petite Linotte de Vignes); Id., ' PL EnL' 151, f. 1 (either a 

 female, or perhaps a male in autumn); Gerard, 'Tab. Elt'm.,' v. 1, 

 p. 1M; Greater Red-Headed Linnet or Redpole, Lath., 'Syn.,' v. 3, 

 p. 304; Id., ' Supp_.,' p. 176; ISlutbunfling, Bechst, ' Naturg. Deut.,' 



v. 3, p. 141 ; Id., ' TssKbenb., 1 p. 121 ; Meyer, 'Tasschenb.,' v. 1, p. 163 ; 

 Id., ' Vog. Deut,' v. 1, t, f. 1 and 2 ; Frisch, ' Vog.,' t 9, t 1 ud 2 ; 

 Naum., V.ig.,' t 6. f. 10 (old male) ud f. 11 (female); Vhuvink, 

 'Sepp. Nederi. Vug.,' v. 2, t. p. 157 ; Montanello Maggiore, 'Stor. deel. 

 UOC,.'T. 3, pi. 857, f. 1. 



In the third part of hi* ' Manuel 1 (1835) M. Temminck add* the 

 following reference* and synonym*: 'Atlas du Manu. !,' pi. lithog. 

 (male); VieilL, 'Faun Fruc.,' p. 77, pL 88, fig,. 2 and 3; Roux. 

 Oroit Provenc.,' v. L, p. 148, tab. 91 (old male in the spring), and 92 

 (male in antomn) ; Fichten und Busch Bluthiinfling, Brehm., v 

 I>ut,' p. 278 ; La Petite Linotte de Vigues, Buff, ' PI. EnL' 161, f<j. 2 

 (male in moult); Naum., ' Neue Ausg., 1 tab. 121. 



Returning to the two first part* of M. Temminck's ' Manuel,' we 

 find him observing that the varieties of the young described by Meyer 

 nader the letter e ud that under the letter t ought to be arrug.'d 

 under Frnyilia Montimm. 



M. Temminck remark* that this bird moults but once a year in 

 the autumn ; bat nevertheless the spring or nuptial plumage i* of a 

 beautiful red tint on the bead and breast He ascribe* this to friction 

 and the action of the air. which wear away the sombre ud ashy 

 border, of the feathers, and cause the red colour, partially hidden in 

 winter trader the ashy edge* with which these feather* are terminated, 

 to appear in the spring. He adds that one may conceive that age ud 

 the more or lets) distant time of moulting may varv this t>lumare 



grertly. 



The reader however should not forget the changes of colour that 

 'arrell and other* have shown to take place in the plumage of binU 

 wrthoot change of feather, and where friction could hardly have been 

 theafent 



Mr. Helby, after the remark* already quoted, proceed* thu* : 

 ."*{ nowevrr, in the Supplement to hi* work on ' British 

 Bird., eUll continues to believe in the existence of two distinct 

 pede* ; for so we must understand him (although be baa brought 

 UM synonyms of the two supposed sjxcies together), since in note 

 foUowtof the dearription and figure oThi* Greater Redpole, or Brown 

 Lfamet, tie eay* that 'it lost, the red breast in autumn, and regains it 



Syn. of 



young 



male after 



1st autumnal 



moult 



in spring ; in this it diners from the Gray Linnet, whose plumage 

 remains the same at all seasons.' " From hi* dewription of the Gray 

 Linnet (the usual Northumbrian name of this bird), as given in the 

 first volume of hi* work, it can be no other than the Common or 

 Brown Linnet of a particular age, although he ha* attached t 

 Linmcan synonyms of the Leaser Kedpole. " If." continues Mr. Selby, 

 " Mr. Bewick'* observations on the plumage of the Linnet were made 

 upon caged birds, I am not surprised at hi* assertion of its always 

 retaining the same appearance; for I have repeatedly v. riin-,1 tl,.- 

 fact of its never acquiring under confinement those brilliant tint* 

 which distinguish it at a particular period of the year when in a state 

 of liberty. 1 will adduce one instance strikingly to the point in 

 question. For some particular purpose of observation a linnet was 

 shot more than two years ago, towards the close of summer, when 

 the plumage showed its most perfect nuptial tint ; ud, happening to 

 be only winged, it was put into a cage, where it soon became familiar- 

 ised to its situation, and still continues. About the usual time, in 

 the autumn of that year, it moulted, and acquired the winter dress of 

 the Common Linnet, which it has retained ever since, without din- 

 playing at the accustomed season any of tho brilliant red that adorned 

 it in the wild state." 



Mr. Selby, who give* in his great work the figures of a male bir.l in 

 summer plumage, and of the natural size (pL 65, fy. 3), and of n female, 

 natural size (Ibid., fig. 4), collect* the following synonyms for tliit 

 species : 



frinyiOa cannabina, Linn., ' Syst' i. p. 322, sp. 28. 



Grog-Bee Linotte, Temm., ' Mn. d'Oruith.,' v. L p. 3rt4. 



Greater Redpole, or Brown Linnet, Mont, ' Omitb. Diet.' 



The Linnet, Ix>w, ' Faun. Oread..' p. 63. 



Greater Kedpole Finch, Shaw, ' Zool.,' 9, p. 516. 



(PringUla Linota, GraeL. ' Syst' i. p. 916 ; Lath., ' Ind. 



Omith./ 1, p. 457, sp. 81. 

 Linaria, Haii ' Syu.,' p. 80, X 1 ; Will., p. 190; Id. 



(Ang.), 258 ; Brisa., 8. p. 131, 29. 

 La Linotte Ordinaire, Buff, ' Ois.,' v. 4, p. 58, 1 1 ; Id., 



'PL EnL' 1J1, f. 1. 

 Common Linnet, ' Br. Zool.,' No. 130; Lewin ' T.r. 



Birds,' 2, t 83 ; Lath.. ' Syn.' 8, p. 402, 73 ; Pult, 



'Cat Dorset,' p. 12 ; Wale., ' Syu., 1 t 221. 

 Linnet, Bewick, ' Br. Birds,' 1, p. 171. 



( frinyitta cannabina, Gme.l., 'Syst,' 1, p. 916, sp. 28; 

 Syn. of Lath., ' Ind. Oruith.,' v. 1, p. 4*58, sp. 82. 



adult | Linaria rubra major, Briss., 3, p. 135, 30; Raii 'Syn.,' 

 male in p. 91, A. 2 ; Will., p. 191, t 46. 



summer La Grande Linotte de Vignen, Buff., ' Ois., 1 4 p. 68 ; 

 plumage. Id., ' PL Enl.,' 485, f. 2, old male under the title of 



Petite Linotte des Vignes. 



Bluthiinfling, Bechst, ' Nuturg. Deut,' 8, p 141 ; Id., 

 'Tasscheub. Deut,' 3, p. 141; Id., ' Tnsschenb. 

 Deut, 1 p. 121 ; Meyer, 'Tasacheub. Deut,' l,p. 163 ; 



Syn. of Id., ' Vog. Dcut, 1 1, f. 1 and 2 ; Frisch, ' Vog.,' 



adult t 9, f. 1 and 2. 



male in Greater Redpole or Red-Headed Linnet, 'Br. Zool.,' 



summer 1, No. 131, t. 64; ' Arct. Zool.,' 2, No. 161; Will. 



plumage. (Ang.), 260; Lewin, 'Br. Birds,' 2, t 84; Lath., 



'Syn. 1 3, p. 304; Id., 'Sup., 1 p. 167 ; Wale., 'Syn.' 

 2, t 222; Pult, 'Cat Dorset, p. 12; Bewick, ' Br. 

 Bird*.,' 1, t, p. 173; Id, 'Sup.,' p., t 22. 



Mr. Gould, in his beautiful work on the ' Birds of Europe,' figure* a 

 male in the spring or nuptial plumage, and a female of the natural 

 size, under the name of Linaria cannabina (Le Oros-Bec Linotti-, 

 Common or Brown Linnet), ud refers to Mr. Selby principally for the 

 account of the changes of plumage. He also notices the confusion 

 which formerly obtained about this specie*. 



M. Temminck states that the bird varie* accidentally to pure white ; 

 whitish, with the wings and tail a* they ore ordinarily ; the colours 

 feebly traced on the plumage ; a part of the body white, or variegated 

 with white feathers. All the plumage blackish, or more sombre than 

 ordinary ; the feet often red. He says that it is then Fringilla argen- 

 toratentit, Omel., 'Syst,' 1, p. 918, sp. 69; Lath, 'Ind., 1 1, p. 460, 

 sp. 87 ; I Gentyl de Strasbourg, Buff.. 'Ois.,' 4, p. 73; Gerard, 

 'Tab. Eli'm,' 1, p. 194. 



Tbi* bird is very abundant in Holland. (Temm.) Very common 

 throughout Britain, extending as far ns to the Orkneys, where it is 

 abundant (Selby.) Indigenous to the British Inlands, over the 

 whole of which, and Europe generally, is is plentifully dispersed. 

 (Gould.) Kr/rruuui in Turkish Armenia, 



In Britain it resort* to waste lauds and commons in the upper parts 

 of the country, where it breed*. It assembles in winter in very large 

 flocks, ud descends to the sea-coasts, where it remains till pairing- 

 time stimulates it to seek the uplands. The food of the Linnet 

 consist* of small seed* generally ; those of the cruciform plants are 

 favourite*. The nest is built in a low bush, most frequently in fur*.', 

 of mo** and stalks of gnu* interwoven with wool ud lined with hnir 

 and feather* ; egg* four or five, bluish- white dotted with purplish-red. 

 (Sfll.y principally.) 



