316 INSESSORES. LINARIA. Linnet. 



investigation, till Montagu, who united practical research 

 with scientific knowledge, professed (in the Ornithological 

 Dictionary) his conviction of their forming but one species ; 

 and my own observation and experiments tend to confirm his 

 opinion. Mr Bewick, however, in the Supplement to his 

 work on British Birds, still continues to believe in the exist- 

 ence of two distinct species, for so we must understand him 

 (although he has brought the synonyms of the twosuppos- 

 ed species), since in a note following the description' and 

 figure of his Greater Redpole or Brown Linnet, he says that 

 " it loses the red breast in autumn, and regains it in spring ; 

 in this it differs from the Grey Linnet, whose plumage re- 

 mains the same at all seasons."" From his description of the 

 Grey Linnet (the us\ial Northnrnhrian name of this bird) as 

 given in the first volume of his work, it can be no other than 

 the Common or Brown Linnet of a particular age, although 

 he has attached to it the Linnean synonyms of the Lesser 

 Redpole. 



If Mr Bewick's observations on the plumage of the Lin- 

 net were made upon caged birds, I am not surprised at his 

 assertion of its always retaining the same appearance, for I 

 have repeatedly verified the fact of its never acquiring, under 

 confinement, those brilhant tints which distinguish it, at a 

 particular period of the year, when in a state of liberty. I 

 will adduce one instance strikingly to the point in question. 

 For some particular purpose of observation, a Linnet was 

 shot more than two years ago, towards the close of summer, 

 when the plumage shewed its most perfect nuptial tint ; and 

 happening to be only winged, it was put into a cage, where 

 it soon became familiarized to its situation, and still con- 

 tinues. About the usual time, in the autumn of that year, 

 it moulted, and acquired the winter dress of the Common 

 Linnet, which it has retained ever since, without displaying, 

 at the accustomed season, any of the brilliant red that 

 adorned it in the wild state. This Linnet is very common 

 throughout Britain, extending as far as to the Orkneys, 



