t54 



THE BIRDS OF THE WOODS 



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a soft and almost plaintive manner. From October to March linnets travel in 

 large numbers from one feeding-district to another, and migrating flocks are 

 sometimes seen in cold, snowy seasons. In winter they sometimes journey to Egypt 

 and Abyssinia, but more frequently visit north-west Africa, where flocks of these 

 birds pass through Tunis and Algeria. In the Canaries the species is a nesting 



and resident bird ; and 

 it also nests throughout 

 Europe as far north as 

 central Sweden, and 

 eastwards to Asia Minor 

 and the Caspian. On 

 the Continent linnets 

 are well known in Ger- 

 many and Switzerland, 

 and in certain parts are 

 even frequent nesting- 

 birds. In Denmark they 

 often live in districts 

 similar to those they 

 frequent in Holland, but 

 in the south of France, 

 Italy, and Greece they 

 choose wooded heights 

 and headlands. In 

 length the linnet meas- 

 ures nearly 6 inches. 

 During the breeding- 

 season the cocks display 

 conspicuous patches of 

 red feathers on the 

 breast and head. The 

 primary quills have 

 white outer edges which 

 form a long wing-bar, and the tail-feathers 

 are edged with white on both webs, broadly 

 so on the inner web. 



The familiar greenfinch 

 (Ligurinus clitoris) approxi- 

 mates to the hawfinch in the form and 

 stoutness of its beak, although this is not so large as in the latter. Unlike the 

 hawfinch, its plumage is green, and it has neither notches nor hooks to the 

 wing-feathers. The favourite tree of the greenfinch seems to be the pollard willow, 

 if we may judge by the frequency with which it is found among the strips of 

 woodland along the banks of rivers : and it always shuns large gloomy forests, 

 especially pine and fir woods. When perching in trees, this bird rarely ascends 

 high, keeping to the middle branches ; and it is at all times remarkably quiet. 



THE r.KEEN'FIXCH. 



Greenfinch. 



