THE LINNET. 297 



plumage is of reddish asli colour, with only a few 

 black feathers at the top. The upper part of the 

 neck is now reddish white, the plumage of the 

 back of a fine rich brown, the throat is of yellow 

 white, with dashes of reddish grey, the sides of the 

 breast of rich crimson, while the greater portion 

 of the under part of the bird is of reddish white: 

 our bird is no longer the grey linnet. 



But the autumn moulting brings a third change, 

 and our little bird has less of crimson and more of 

 white tints on the head and breast, till winter 

 restores the rich colours to the plumage. In 

 summer too, the female linnet, with her more sober 

 brown hues, is often mistaken for the male bird, 

 and thus arose the name of brown linnet. Birds 

 reared in the house, never, according to Bechstein, 

 acquire the fine red hue on the neck and breast 

 common to the wild linnet, but remain grey like 

 the male birds of one year old : on the other hand^ 

 older birds, which, when first brought into the 

 house, have the red plumage, lose their beautiful 

 colours at their first moulting, and remaining grey 

 like the young bird, are for the rest of their days 

 ^rcy linnets. 



But though this bird thus loses in captivity 



