27 



LA LINOTTE. 



Brisson 3 — 121. 



COMMON LINNET, 



PLATE XXVII. 



A he bill is thick at the base, sharp at the point. The 

 upper chap of a dusky black, the lower a yellow horn 

 colour. The eyes are brown. The head brown, with a 

 cast of ash-colour, and a black, or very dark brown 

 stroke down the middle of each feather. 



The feathers on the back are red-brown, with a black 

 stroke down the shaft of each. 



The first quill feathers are black, with white edges; 

 the second are also black, but with the edges brown. 



The greater and lesser covert feathers are brown, 

 with pale brown edges. 



The throat and upper part of the breast are white, 

 with a few dusky touches pointing downwards. 



The lower part of the breast is of a bright shining 

 crimson colour, edged off with a cast of orange. The 

 belly and covert feathers under the tail, are a dusky 

 white. 



The tail consists of twelve feathers, and is a little 

 forked. The two middle feathers are shorter than the 

 rest, and black, with red-brown edges ; all the rest are 

 bordered with white. The cock has sometimes a black 

 stroke under his throat, not always. 



The legs and feet are a dusky black. 



The hen wants the crimson colour on the breast. 

 The white feathers in the wing and tail are less bright, 

 and the general hue of colours more dusky than those 

 of the cock. 



The Linnet feeds on downy seeds. I have figured 

 the * water ragwort, with the birds, on plate xxvii. 



* Senecio aquatica. 



