THE GREENFINCH 45 



growth, radish and turnip suffering severely, also lettuce, salsify, 

 and other Compositae. 



The COMMON LINNET (Linota cannabina), a plain but melodious 

 member of the Finch family, is about 5J in. in length, of a dark 

 reddish-brown colour on the upper parts, and a dirty reddish-white 

 beneath. The nest is made in low bushes, the outside formed of 

 dried grass, roots, and moss, lined with hair and wool. The eggs 

 are four or five, of a pale blue colour, spotted with brown at the 

 larger end, and breeding generally takes place twice in the year. 

 The linnet frequents commons and pastures, often in large flocks 

 in autumn and winter, and feeds on various kinds of seeds, being 

 very partial to those of wild sorrel and other obnoxious weeds, 

 and is captured in great numbers by call-birds and fall-nets for 

 bird-fanciers, the song of the bird being sweet and varied, and its 

 manners gentle and docile. The linnet occasionally plucks up 

 Brassicas in seed-leaf, but this is rare. 



The GREENFINCH (Ligurinm or Coccothraustes chloris) belongs 

 to the sub-family Fringillinae, and frequents gardens, shrubberies, 

 hedges, plantations and fields. The general colour of the male 

 on the upper parts is olive green, the primaries greyish-black, with 

 bright yellow edges for two-thirds of their length, under-parts 

 yellow. The female is of a hair-brown colour above, pale brown 

 below. The male, which is a little larger than the female, is 

 about 6 in. in length. Its song is not melodious. It breeds from 

 about the end of April on to June, and builds its nest in hedges, 

 bushes and low trees. The nest is mainly composed of green moss 

 and coarse fibrous roots, and is lined with finer roots, horse-hair 

 and feathers. The eggs are four to six in number, bluish-white, 

 spotted at the larger end with purplish-grey and dark brown. The 

 greenfinches are gregarious in habits, except in the breeding season, 

 and feed upon grain, chiefly in stubbles, and seeds, such as char- 

 lock, dandelion, groundsel, chickweed, plantain, etc., and insects. 

 The greenfinches are sometimes destructive to seedling Brassicas 

 and other Cruciferae, also Compositae by plucking them up while 

 in seed-leaf, and usually commit their depredations early in the 

 morning. Though sometimes charged with destroying blossom- 

 buds of fruit trees and bushes, this propensity has not come under 

 our observation as regards greenfinches. 



The SPARROW (Passer domesticus), Fig. 35, included in the Coni- 

 rostral sub-family of the Fringillinae or true Finches, is well known 

 as the Common or House-sparrow. The average length of this 

 species is 6 in., and they have the top of the head coloured 

 of a slatey grey, the throat is black, and the latter colour 

 passes over the eyes from the base of the head. The smaller wing 

 coverts may be marked with white, the breast is greyish-brown, and 

 the under-parts a dirty white, inclining to brown. Sometimes 

 black, pied, brown, or even white varieties are seen. The nest 



