BRITISH BIRD. 



255 



THE LINNET. 



BROWN OR GREY LINNET. 

 WINTER PLUMAGE. 



THE bill bluish grey; eyes hazel; upper parts 

 of the head, the neck, and back, dark reddish 

 brown ; edges of the feathers pale ; under parts 

 dirty reddish white ; breast deeper than the rest, 

 sides streaked with brown ; quills dusky, edged 

 with white; tail brown, likewise with \vhite edges, 

 except the t\vo middle feathers, which have red- 

 dish margins; it is somewhat forked; legs short 

 and brown. 



The song of the Linnet is lively and sweetly 

 varied; its manners are gentle, and its disposition 

 docile ; it easily adopts the song of other birds, 

 when confined with them, and in some instances 

 it has been taught to pronounce words with great 

 distinctness ; but this substitution of imperfect 



