THE LINNET AND REDPOLL. 191 



remove the parent bird with your hand, so closely does 

 she sit ; yet when rudely scared from her home she 

 sometimes tries by various alluring motions to draw all 

 your attention upon herself. The greater part of the 

 male bird's time, when not on the nest, is taken up in 

 singing from some neighbouring spray. Should you 

 alarm him, he suddenly ceases, and takes refuge in the 

 thickest parts of the covert, there to remain until all danger 

 has gone. When the young can leave the nest they are 

 attended by their parents until the flocking time in July, 

 or left to themselves if the old birds rear another brood, 

 which they often do. 



In July the pair of Linnets that have resided in the 

 upland gorse covert all the summer, leave it, and are 

 joined by other families, and wing their way back again 

 to their accustomed winter haunt, fresh arrivals swelling 

 their numbers as they go. There they frequent the 

 grounds overrun with weeds, feeding on the various 

 seeds. They are not shy, and when in motion the white 

 parts of their plumage tell out in rich contrast against 

 their rich brown other parts. The male bird has now lost 

 his song, and their only note is a shrill and musical 

 twitter. When disturbed, they all fly off together, and 

 take refuge on the topmost branches of the nearest tree, 

 all perching close together ; but when the danger has 

 passed they leave the tree in a long straggling train. 

 Linnets seem to keep their own society, probably more 

 so than any other Finch. Seldom indeed are any other 

 birds seen in their company, save a few Twites and Red- 

 polls, their very close congeners. 



Flocks of Linnets are very often seen on the sea 

 coast, frequenting the waste lands, and it is not impro- 

 bable these birds are migrants ; for I am satisfied in my 

 own mind that all or nearly all our British Finches are 



