FINCHES 15 



Winter visitor and bird of passage chiefly to our East Coast 

 districts. 



Bird. Length 5 in. Like the lesser-redpoll, which see, but 

 is larger. Has the rump striated, and lacks the rufous tint in 

 the brown of the back. 



17. Twite [Linota flavirostris flavirostris (Linnaeus)]. Resi- 

 dent except in S. and B. England, where it is seen only as 

 a winter visitor and bird of passage. 



Bird. Length 5 in. Distinguished from the redpolls by 

 having red on the rump only, conspicuous white on the inner 

 primaries, the beak more or less yellow in summer as well as 

 winter, to which fact it owes the name flavirostris, and no 

 black on the chin and lores. Upper-parts brown with paler 

 edgings. Breast and flanks bullish-white, striated brown. 

 The hen and young have no red on the rump, which is 

 striated. 



Nest. Place: variable bushes, heather, on the ground 

 under stones, sods, &c., in grass, walls, crevices of cliffs, 

 rabbit burrows. Material : roots, grass, stems, moss, twigs, 

 lined with wool, hair, &c. 



Eggs. Usually 4-6. Blue marked with dark red-brown. 

 Av. size, "66 x *49 in. Laying begins May. Probably two broods. 



18. Linnet, brown-linnet [Linota cannabina cannabina 

 (Linnaeus)]. Resident and common in most parts. 



Bird. Length 5^ in. Distinguished from redpolls and 

 twite by the white margins of the tail-feathers. In summer 

 the male has crimson on the crown, forehead, and breast, 

 which in winter turns to grey. The back is chestnut, wing 

 feathers dusky with white outer edges. The hen and young 

 lack the crimson and are more striated. 



Nest. Usually in bushes, especially gorse, and in hedges. 

 Material : roots, moss, grass, &c., lined with hair, wool, 

 feathers, down. 



Eggs. Usually 4-6. Shades of pale or whitish-blue marked 

 with purplish-red, and sometimes unmarked. Av. size, 

 71 x -51 in. Laying begins April-May. Broods usually 2. 



19. House-sparrow [Passer domesticus domesticus (Linnaeus)]. 

 Resident and common. 



Bird. Length 6 in. Distinguished by the white cheek 

 patch, the black gorget, the ash-grey on the crown and rump, 

 the bluish-black beak, and the chestnut of the mantle. The 

 hen has the head and rump brown, mantle pale rufous streaked 

 dusky brown. Buff eye-stripe, under-parts dull buflish-white, 

 beak brown. The young are much like the hen. In winter 

 the grey and black of the cock are obscured by brown, the 

 white by a dull yellowish tinge, and the beak becomes brown. 



