LINNET. 113 



words. A fine voice has proved the ruin of many, and not 

 only of birds. Meyer suggests that its name of 'Linnet' is 

 derived from its ordinary call. 



The nest is commonly placed in heath, grass, furze, or 

 gorse, and is neatly constructed, being formed of small twigs 

 and stalks of grass, intermixed with moss and wool, and lined 

 with hair and feathers. It is occasionally placed in a bush 

 or tree, and has been known at a height of ten or twelve 

 feet from the ground. 



The eggs are from four to. six in number, of a bluish white 

 colour, spotted, most so at the larger end, with purple grey 

 and reddish brown ; some are of a reddish black colour without 

 spots, and some, exceptional ones, have been known pure 

 white. 



The young are usually able to fly by the end of May, and 

 there are mostly two broods in the season. 



Male; length, five inches and three quarters; bill, dusky 

 above, pale greyish blue beneath, the tip darker; iris, deep 

 brown: over it is an indistinct lir?e of greyish yellow, and 

 another below it. Forehead, red, the feathers tipped with 

 greyish brown; head, streaked on the crown with greyish 

 brown and yellowish grey, the central part of each feather 

 being of the former colour; on the sides, yellowish brown 

 grey; neck in front, yellowish grey, streaked with greyish 

 brown or light reddish brown; chin and throat, a mixture of 

 brown and grey; breast, brown or dull red on the upper part 

 in winter, bright red in spring sometimes the red colour 

 entirely fades out in the winter the feathers are broadly 

 margined with yellowish grey; on the sides it is yellowish 

 grey, the feathers streaked with brown, which nearly wears 

 off in summer; lower down it is light brownish grey, palest 

 on the middle. Back, deep reddish brown, the central parts 

 of the feathers darker, their edges yellowish grey. 



The wings expand to the width of nine inches and three 

 quarters; greater and lesser wing coverts, reddish brown, the 

 central parts of the feathers darker, their edges yellowish 

 grey; in the summer they are wholly reddish brown; primaries, 

 brownish black, margined externally, excepting towards the 

 end, with white, the five first broadly so, forming a conspicuous 

 mark on the wing: the first and second quills are equal in 

 length, the first sometimes the longest, the third scarcely 

 shorter, the fourth a quarter of an inch shorter than the 

 third. Secondaries and tertiaries, brownish black, margined 



