F R I N G I L L I D 



539 



in all probability, its habits, much resemble those of 

 that bird ; and T emminck describes it to frequent the 

 neighbourhood of rivers, particularly in Siberia : in 

 winter it visits the eastern parts of the south of 

 Europe, and is now and then observed in Hungary. 



The crimson-crowned finch, Erytlirotipiza crythrina, 

 is another European species, but found chiefly within 

 the arctic circle, it does not, however, appear that it 

 has yet been noticed in America, though the follow- 

 ing species, nearly allied to it, is rather plentiful in 

 the district of country extending along the base of 

 the Rocky Mountains. 



CRIMSON-NECKED FINCH (E '. frontalis}, has been 

 figured and described in C. L. Bonaparte's continua- 

 tion of Wilson's work. This bird is only one remove 

 from the pine grosbeak, or as it is termed by some 

 authors the pine bullfinch (Corythus enucleator). It 

 so resembles the 7 erythrina, also, that it requires 

 some acumen to distinguish these apart, at least in the 

 state of stuffed specimens. There are many circum- 

 stances, however, which tend to indicate that they are 

 distinct and separate species. All the birds of this 

 jrenus so nearly resemble each other, that their speci- 

 fic differences are still involved in great confusion, 

 and it is probable they may long continue so, unless 

 we have some better data for determining these sepa- 

 rate characters than dry and distorted skins. The 

 four northern kinds, however, which are here men- 

 tioned, may be considered as pretty well made out, 

 as also three or four others, of which, however, no- 

 thing more is at present known, except the names. 



We next come, in a regular series, to the pine 

 bullfinch of authors, a large species inhabiting both 

 continents, and much more closely allied to the last 

 mentioned birds, and to the cross-bills (Lo.n), than 

 to the true bullfinches, with which it has generally 

 been associated. It is, in fact, a true loxia in all re- 

 spects, excepting the bill, and undergoes the same 

 very peculiar changes of colour ; the young birds, 

 which have once moulted, being clad in a much 

 brighter livery than they ever wear afterwards. Like 

 the" crossbills, it is an inhabitant of tb^ northern pine 

 forests, out of which it is hardly ever found ; but as 

 it has generally been considered as a bullfinch, from 

 a slight resemblance in the form of the beak.it will be 

 more convenient to describe it along with the true 

 bullfinches, in the general article PYKHHULA. The 

 true bullfinches have the plumage altogether of a dif- 

 ferent character and texture from this species ; and. 

 though considered as the type of a division of the 

 Fringill'ulcE, to which the name Pyrrhulince has been 

 given, and in which the crossbills and erythrospizse 

 are usually placed, they do not appear to have any 

 considerable degree of direct affinity with any of the 

 others. 



The crossbills (loxia) connect the pine bullfinch 

 with the siskin and redpole linnets, to which they are 

 much more nearly allied than would be supposed from 

 a more casual glance at stuffed specimens. Four 

 species of them are now known, three of which have 

 been met with in the British islands, one as an occa- 

 sional visitant, in large flocks, and the other two as 

 extremely rare and accidental stragglers. They are 

 very interesting birds, having one of the most singu- 

 larly constructed bills to be found in the whole 

 feathered creation, and which, though considered by 

 some as a deformity, is in reality one of the most 

 bountiful contrivances, one of the most admirable 

 adaptations of means to end which occur in the whole 



range of animated nature. For a more definite account 

 however, of these birds, we must refer to the article 

 LOXIA. 



Next follow the siskins and goldfinches, and then 

 the canaries, all of which, however, having been al- 

 ready described in the article CARDUELIS, we proceed 

 at once now to the different 



LINNETS (Linaria). The form and plumage of 

 the common linnet are too well known to require 

 a description. It is one of the commonest of British 

 birds, everywhere frequenting open heaths and com- 

 mons, and breeding in the furzTe and other bushes. 

 In autumn they associate in large flocks, and traverse 

 the more cultivated parts of the country, often alight- 

 ing by thousands where the plough has been at work, 

 in search of the many seeds of various wild plants 

 which are everywhere scattered and distributed ; 

 they are sometimes observed in company with other 

 species of Fringillidce, but more commonly in flocks, 

 composed entirely of their own species. They are 

 cheerful and lively birds, and very sweet and pleasing 

 songsters, the most musical indeed of all our finches, 

 excepting, perhaps, the goldfinch, though this is matter 

 of opinion. Great numbers of them are annually 

 captured by the bird-catchers, who take them with 

 clap-nets and call-birds, by which means they are 

 very readily decoyed and made prisoners. 



Linnet. 



The nest is generally constructed in a furze bush, 

 and is formed of moss and stalks of grass neatly inter- 

 woven with wool, and lined with feathers and hair. 

 The eggs are four or five in number, of a bluish white, 

 speckled with purplish red colour. They feed on most 

 of the smaller seeds which come in their way, as those 

 of the flax, hemp, dandelion, thistle, &c., and particu- 

 larly on those of the cruciform plants ; and they eat 

 also the leaves of groundsel, chickweed, and some 

 others. 



They are strictly granivorons birds, at no period of 

 their existence subsisting upon insect food, nor will 

 they touch it in captivity if offered to them. Even 

 the young are entirely reared upon macerated vege- 

 table diet ejected from the craws of the old birds, and 

 the same obtains in the sub-genera Carduelu, Cocco- 

 thraustcs, and Cannrin ; though in the chaffinch, 

 sparrow, and bunting tribes, the young are brought 

 up wholly upon insects ; and even the adult birds of 

 these latter divisions will feed on insects whenever 

 they have the opportunity. Authors (in many instances 

 mere compilers one from" another), have made strange 

 confusion in describing the common linnet, having 

 confounded the summer plumage of this bird with the 



