302 OUR NATIVE SONGSTERS. 



The common linnet remains with us all the 

 year, frequenting in summer, not only the heath- 

 lands, but those which lie near woods, or thick 

 hedges, where the furze is plentiful. When win- 

 ter approaches, these birds wander in flocks over 

 the fields, and then become the ready prey of the 

 birdcatcher. They live longer in captivity than 

 most other birds, and Sonnini mentions one, which, 

 after living forty years, was at last killed by an 

 accident. Of this bird, that writer says that it 

 was a sweet and docile little creature, that it 

 could call the persons of the house by name, and 

 would whistle perfectly six tunes, learned from the 

 bird-organ. It is very generally distributed, not 

 only over our own land, but throughout Em'ope. 



The linnet delights to dabble in the clear 

 stream; and, indeed, has been said to be the 

 cleanliest of all birds. Beautiful as birds are, 

 yet few persons are aware how very cleanly they 

 are generally in their habits. No ruffled plume 

 escapes their attention, and no sooner is any soil 

 contracted by the plumage, than the bird is ac- 

 tively engaged in trimming it. Even young 

 nestlings scarcely open their eyes to the light 

 before they begin to trim the down, which as yet 



