39 8 NORTHERN EUROPE 



travels to the Arctic Circle, and its relative the mountain-finch breeds in Norway 

 and north Finland, though not in central Europe. The greenfinch is unknown beyond 

 65° N. latitude, and the linnet rinds the northern limit of its range in central Sweden. 

 Strictly confined to the north is the mountain-linnet or twite (Linota flavirostris), 

 which inhabits the north of Scotland, Sweden, Lapland, and Russia, to migrate 

 south in autumn, when it is found in Sweden, Denmark, France, Holland, Germany, 

 Switzerland, and northern Italy. Living in barren mountainous districts, where 

 the chief vegetation is stunted bushes, this bird has its feet admirably adapted for 

 walking on the ground, the claws being very slightly bent. In late summer it 

 gathers in flocks, and in November (occasionally earlier) appears in Germany, 

 leaving again in February to return to its breeding-places. Meanwhile it has been 

 wandering about the fields in company with other small winter-migrants, especially 

 linnets. Wherever the twite is seen, it appears to nest in solitude. It is a lively, 

 shy bird, hopping briskly and erectly on the ground, and accustomed in its home 

 to perch on rocks or solitary bushes to sing. The twite, so named from its call, 

 feeds on seeds, specially those containing oil. Its nest, generally on or near the 

 ground, is sheltered by stones or shrubs, and resembles that of the linnet, although 

 more warmly lined with hair, willow-catkins, or cotton-grass. The eggs, which 

 are like those of the canary, are from four to six in number. The length of the bird 

 is about 5-j inches ; and the yellow beak is very distinctive. In colour the crown and 

 throat are brown, the rump is red, and the chin burl', but there is no red on the 

 breast. The female has no red at all. 

 crossbills and The siskin ranges up to 67° N. latitude and the goldfinch to 65°, 



Buntings. h u t t] ie se rin never gets farther north than the southern shore of the 

 Baltic. On the other hand, the crossbill belongs to northern more than central 

 Furopi', as does the parrot crossbill, which appears more frequently and regularly 

 in Scandinavia, Finland, and northern Russia than farther south. In northern 

 Russia also lives the two-barred crossbill, which as a rare visitor appears in 

 western Europe. The large race of the bullfinch is indigenous to Scandinavia and 

 the north, but is occasionally found in Prussia as a nesting bird, although in 

 the rest of Germany down to Salzburg it is a winter-migrant from the north 

 and east. 



The scarlet and the pine grosbeak represent a group distributed in some twenty 

 different forms over the northern countries of Europe, Asia, and North America. 

 Of these, the first-named species delights in damp forests abounding in brushwood, 

 and also well-timbered gardens, and is frequently found on river-banks clothed 

 with willows and reeds, in much the same situations as form the haunt of the reed 

 bunting. Its food consists of seeds, buds of trees, and shoots of plants : the nest 

 being generally situated in a thorn bush near the ground. It resembles that of a 

 warbler, and at the proper season contains five or six bluish green eggs marked with 

 small grey and brown rings and brown or black spots and sti-eaks. The song 

 resembles that of the linnet and the oriole in its flute-like notes. The scarlet 

 grosbeak nests in East Prussia, Pomerania, Silesia, and the Isle of Sylt ; and also 

 inhabits north-eastern Europe and Siberia, migrating in winter to milder countries. 

 ll is 8J inches lung: the male has a rosy crow r n and breast, but the female is more 

 sombre in colour, lacking the red patches of her partner. Of the European 



