322 



INSESSORES. LINARIA. 



Linnet. 



few, and not delivered in continuous song, are sweet and 

 pleasing. 



This bird is widely diffused through all the northern parts 

 of Europe ; inhabits Northern Asia as far as Siberia and 

 Kamtschatka ; and is also abundant in North America. 



General 

 descrip- 

 tion. 

 Male bird. 



Plate 54. Fig. 10. A male bird, in spring plumage, and 

 of the natural size. 

 Bill having the upper part of the superior mandible 

 blackish-brown ; the cutting edges and inferior mandi- 

 ble straw-yellow. Forehead, space between the bill and 

 eyes, chin, and throat, dusky hair-brown. Crown of 

 the head blood-red ; sides of the neck and breast car- 

 mine-red; passing into peach-blossom red upon the 

 sides and flanks. Middle of the belly, vent, and under- 

 tail-coverts white ; in some specimens slightly tinged 

 with peach-blossom red. Occiput, nape of the neck, 

 and vipper part of the back, blackish-brown ; the fea- 

 thers being margined with yellowish and wood browns. 

 Lower part of the back and rump greyish, more or less 

 tinged with pale carmine-red. Wing-coverts blackish- 

 brown, margined and tipped with pale yellowish-brown. 

 Quills hair-brown ; margined with reddish- white. Tail 

 the same, and considerably forked. Legs and toes 

 blackish-brown. 



Female. In the female, the forehead has the brown mixed with yel- 

 lowish-white. The lower part of the neck, and upper 

 part of the breast, are of pale wood-brown, with a few 

 spots of blackish-brown. Lower part of the breast and 

 belly white, very slightly tinged with rose-red. The 

 plumage of tlie upper parts of the body margined paler 

 than that of the male. The rump slightly tinged with 

 rose-red. 



