142 THE COMMON LINNET. 



accou]it of their scarcity, I have always kept them for myself. 

 Their song was very fine and clear, but they cannot be tamed^ 

 and have generally died soon of sorrow and melancholy, from 

 which I conclude that they were very old. 



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. I have in my cabinet all the gradations of this 

 change. 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 colours at the first moult- 

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

 grey linnets. 



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

 which are smaller tlian 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 tlian bro\\Ti, and by the number of 

 streaks on the breast, which resembles that of the lark ; bii-d- 

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



Habitation. — In its Avild state the linnets are spread throughout Eu- 

 rope. In the summer they frequent the skirts of large forests, thickets, 

 hedges, and bushes, particularly fni-zc ; but as soon as September arrives, 

 they pass in large fliglits to the fields. They are wandering birds, that in 

 winter go hither and thither seeking food in places free from snow, but in 

 March they return to their native places. 



In confinement it is best to keep them in square cages, as they are less 

 subject to giddiness in these than in round ones, and sing better. They are 

 not often allowed to range the room, as they are very indolent, remaining 

 immoveable in the same place, and running the risk of being trodden on ; 

 but if a small tree or a roost be placed in a corner, they may be let out of 

 the cage with safety, as they will remain perched there, only leaving it to 

 eat or drink, and will sing all day long. 



Food. — When wild, their food is all kinds of seeds that they can shell, 

 and these remain in the crop some time to be moistened before passing 

 into the stomach. In the house, it is only summer rape seed,* which 

 need not be soaked in water for them, as for the chaffinch, since, having a 



* It is koovcn from experience that winter rape seed, which is not hurtful to them 

 in a wild state, will soon kill them if they are fed on it in the house — Arruoiu 



