010 NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Signs of a cock linnet Nests. 



young, by these two marks; first, the feathers 

 on his back are much browner than those of the 

 lien ; and secondly, by the white on the three 

 or four longest feathers of the wing ; if it appear 

 clear, bright, and broad, and reach up to the 

 quills, it is a sure sign of a cock bird ; for the 

 white in the wing of the hen is much less, fainter, 

 and narrower. 



These birds commonly build in a thick bush, 

 or hedge, and sometimes among furze-bushes, 

 &c. making a small, pretty nest, the outside of 

 bents, dried weeds, and other stubble matter, 

 and the bottom all matted together; the inside 

 of fine soft wool, mixed with down stuff, gathered 

 from dried plants, with a few horse-hairs, made 

 exceedingly neat and warm, on which she lays 

 four, and sometimes five white eggs, with fine 

 red specks, especially at the blunt end ; and has 

 young ones by the middle of April or beginning 

 of May. The young may be taken at ten days 

 old, or sooner; it is very necessary, however, 

 that they should be kept very warm, clean, and 

 fed at least once in every two hours. Their food 

 at first should consist of rape-seed, soaked eight 

 or ten hours in water, then scalded, and after- 

 wards bruised, clearing it as much as possible 

 from the hulls ; to this should be put twice as 

 much white bread, that had first been soaked in 

 water, and afterwards boiled in a little milk, mix- 

 ing them together in a kind of soft paste, and 

 which should be prepared fresh every day, as 



