74 THE FINCHES 



forms Linota flammea holboellii, L. /. rostrata, L. hornemanni hornemanni, and 

 L. h. exilipes which have been known to occur in the British Isles in the winter 

 months, but whose breeding grounds extend westward from Spitzbergen, Iceland, 

 and Jan Mayen to the subarctic regions of North America, as well as east through 

 Siberia. The question of the rank to be assigned to these forms will be discussed 

 in the supplementary chapter on " Classification." [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Is not a British breeding species. See previous note. 



5. Food. Seeds. 



6. Song Period. Not recorded. 



TWITE [Linota flavirostris (Linnaeus). The rock-, hill-, heather-, or mountain- 

 linnet, yellowneb-lintie. French, linotte montagnarde, or linotte d bee 

 jaune ; German, Berghan fling]. 



1. Description. Distinguished from the redpolls by having red on the 

 rump only, white outer margins to the inner primaries, the beak more or less yellow 

 in summer as well as in winter, and by the absence of black on the chin and 

 lores. To the colour of its beak it owes the name ftavirostris. Length 5 in. 

 [127 mm.]. (PL 13.) The hen has no red on the rump, which is striated. 

 The young resemble her, but are darker, and have the major coverts uniformly 

 coloured, [w. P. P.] 



2. Distribution. As a breeding bird it is confined to North- Western Europe 

 chiefly Norway, Lapland, and the British Isles while it visits most parts of 

 Northern Europe, but is only a rare wanderer to the southern countries. A paler 

 race, sub-specifically separated as L. f. brevirostris, breeds from Asia Minor to 

 Manchuria. The twite is absent from the south and east of England, although 

 it has bred exceptionally in Devonshire (cf. C. E. Pearson, Bull. B. 0. C., xiv. 

 p. 91). It breeds on the elevated moors of Central and Northern England, but is 

 nowhere abundant, and is everywhere inclined to be local, breeding sporadically 

 in colonies ; also, and more regularly, in similar parts of Scotland, becoming 

 abundant towards the west and north-west, and in the isles, including Orkney and 

 Shetland. In Ireland it is widely distributed. [A. L. T.] 



3. Migration. In winter it seeks lower levels, and there is a certain amount 

 of movement in autumn, but this does not make itself felt very far south of the 

 species' breeding range. Except for such local movements, the twite is stationary 

 in the British Isles. [A. L. T.] 



4. Nest and Eggs. Nesting places: very variable bushes, heather, creepers, 



