44 THE LINNET AND THE SISKIN 



settled and homely in its habits than the siskin. In 

 liberty in the -woods its plumage is bright and pleasing. 

 Its head and chest are of a fine red colour, its back is 

 chestnut brown, its stomnch reddish white, its wings and 

 the feathers of its tail black, spotted with white. It is 

 smaller in size than the goldfinch, and its bill is sharper. 

 When it is shut up in a cage, like that bird it loses its live- 

 liness and the oddness of its colours. The male, in a cage, 

 soon gets to look like the female. The bright tints of its 

 plumage fade insensibly; its garb turns brownish grey 

 spotted with rusty dots — a vulgar and sad livery of 

 bondage. 



These birds chose their mates and build their nest in 

 May. In wine countries they often build their nest among 

 tlie vines on the vinepoles ; in the neighbourhood ol 

 forests they choose thickets of young fir trees, and when 

 one crosses such a wood in the time of pairing, one is sure to 

 hear on all sides the song of linnets that are busily suspen- 

 ding their delicate dwellings on to the boughs of fir trees. 

 The nest consists of small leaves, roots and moss on the out- 

 side, inside of feathers, hair and plenty of wool. On this 

 soft bed the female lays six bluish white eggs, spotted 

 with nut-brown at the broader end. When the young 

 are grown enough to take their lliglit the whole houseful 

 takes wing together; the whole clan of linnets congre- 

 gates and starts off to explore the orchards and groves 

 of the neighbourhood. 



