68 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



an unmoulted buff -edged inner secondary. The juvenile body- 

 feathers, wing-coverts, and innermost secondaries are moulted 

 in early autumn, but not other wing-feathers, primary-coverts, 

 or tail. 



Measurements and structure. $ wing 75-79 mm., tail 47-51, 

 tarsus 13.5-15, bill from skull 8.5-9.5 (10 measured). $ wing 

 73-76. Primaries : 1st minute and hidden, 3rd and 4th about 

 equal and longest, 2nd and 5th 1-2 mm. shorter, 6th 7-9 shorter ; 

 3rd to 5th emarginated outer webs. Secondaries equal 10th 

 primary, square-tipped and notched. Tail fairly deeply forked. 

 Bill thick and deep at base, tapering sharply to point. Nostrils 

 covered with short bristle-like feathers, and similar ones at gape. 



Soft parts. Bill horn-brown, paler under lower mandible ; 

 legs and feet and iris brown. 



CHARACTERS AND ALLIED FORMS. In C. c. corsicana (Corsica) 

 mantle of male is more rusty-brown with darker streaks, under- 

 parts paler yellow. Grey nape and sides of neck and uniform, 

 unstreaked under-parts distinguish it at once from Siskin and 

 Serin, while latter has much shorter and thicker bill. 



BREEDING-HABITS. Haunts mountain-sides and breeds chiefly in 

 large conifers, often at considerable heights, but occasionally also 

 in thatched roofs of alpine huts, according to some writers. 

 Nest. Beautifully built of grasses, moss, and lichens, lined 

 hair, feathers and down, and decorated with cocoons outside. 

 Eggs. 4-5, pale bluish in ground-colour, with usual red-brown 

 streaks and spots as in Siskin and Goldfinch. Average of 41 eggs, 

 16.5 X 12.59mm. Breeding-season. Begins end April in Switzer- 

 land, but eggs may be found till late June, so possibly two broods 

 are reared. Incubation. Period not precisely known. 



FOOD. Chiefly seeds of fir and spruce, as well as of various plants, 

 especially dandelion, also buds and small insects. 



DISTRIBUTION. England. One. Female, Yarmouth (Norfolk), 

 Jan. 29, 1904 (J. H. Gurney, Zool., 1905, p. 91). 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Mountain-systems of central and south 

 Europe. Replaced by a local race in Corsica and Sardinia. 



CARDUELIS CANNABINA* 



27. Carduelis cannabina cannabina (L.) THE LINNET. 



FKINGIIXA CANNABINA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 182 (1758 



Europe. Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Linota cannabina (Linnaeus), Yarrell, n, p. 153 ; Saunders, p. 187. 



DESCRIPTION. Adult male. Winter. Crown streaked blackish- 

 brown and buff with concealed spots of dull crimson ; nape same 



