48 GRAMINIVOILE. 



the wings, and weighs nearly an ounce. It is subject to 

 considerable changes of plumage, not only, in the sexes, but 

 in the male birds at different seasons, which have, of course, 

 been productive of the confusion of the popular names, and 

 that confusion has been increased by the assertions of authors, 

 and also by the difference between the plumage of the male 

 birds in free nature, and in a state of confinement. 



In the breeding plumage, the male bird is bright carmine- 

 red on the breast, and pale brownish-red on the flanks (in 

 which state it is also called the rose linnet) ; but in the 

 winter, the red in a great measure disappears, and the breast 

 is reddish brown, mottled with reddish white, and the flanks 

 marked with large brown streaks. 



In the breeding plumage, the crown of the head, nape, and 

 sides of the neck, are bluish grey ; and the back, scapulars, 

 and coverts, chestnut brown, with pale margins. The throat 

 and under part of the neck yellowish white streaked with 

 brown ; and the flanks reddish brown, passing into greyish 

 white on the belly and vent. Quills black with white at the 

 base, forming a distinct bar on the closed wing. Tail much 

 forked ; the two middle feathers entirely black, and the rest 

 margined with white. The bill bluish grey, and the feet 

 dull brown. 



In the young birds the grey upon the head is mottled, 

 and the red on the iinder parts pale and circumscribed. In 

 winter, too, the red, and the grey upon the head, which are 

 the livery of the breeding time, are obscure, the former 

 becoming brown mottled with white, and the latter mottled 

 with black, in the centres of the feathers. When the bird 

 once moults in confinement, it seldom, if ever, recovers the 

 pure grey or the bright red. 



The female, ftrhich is considerably smaller than the male, 

 has the upper part brown, with the margins of the feathers 

 yellowish, and the wing-coverts a darker brown. The sides 



