50 



THE LINNET. 



Males one year old have no red on the head, and more 

 dashes of black ; the breast is pale-red, waved with pale and 

 dark ; -the under part of the feathers on the breast is only a 

 bright, reddish-grey brown ; the edges of these feathers are of a 

 reddish- white ; the back rust-color, having detached spots of 

 dark-brown and reddish- white. These birds are known under 

 the name of " grey linnets." 



After the second moulting, if the reddish-grey feathers are 

 blown aside, blood-red specks may be discovered on the 

 forehead, and the red of the breast is only hidden by the 

 wide yellowish- white borders to the feathers; these are the 

 " yellow linnets," or the " rock linnets," as they are called in 

 Thuringia. 



Besides these three different varieties of plumage of the 

 males, there are several clouded, produced by the seasons and 

 old age ; for instance, the older they become, the redder the 

 head is. Birds brought up in the house never acquire the fine 

 red on the forehead and breast, but remain grey like the males 

 of one year old ; on the other hand, old ones, red when brought 

 into the house, lose their beautiful colors at the first moulting, 

 and remaining grey like the young ones, are no more than 

 grey linnets. 



This difference of color does not take place in the females, 

 which are smaller than the males ; the upper part of the body 

 is grey, streaked with dusky-brown and yellowish- white, on 

 the rump, with greyish-brown and reddish-white ; these spots 

 are more numerous on the breast ; the wing coverts are a 

 dusky-chestnut. The females are distinguished in the nest by 

 the back being more grey than brown, and by the number of 

 streaks on the breast, which resemble that of the lark ; bird 

 fanciers leave these in the nest and take only the males. 



Linnets breed twice a-year, and lay each time from four to 

 six bluish-white eggs, covered all over with ^esh-colored 

 and reddish-brown spots and stripes. The male birds may 

 be recognised in the earlier stage of their growth by the 

 white ring round the neck, and the white on the tail and 

 wings. 



