INTRODUCTION^'. IT 



net, the red-breasted or rose linnet, and tlie greater 

 redpole, are thi*ee distinct species, but, in many 

 respects, closely allied to each other. 



Some have even thought the tmte, or mountain- 

 linnet, only a variety of the grey linnet, and the 

 lesser redpole a variety of the twite ; but the ha- 

 bits of these birds are different, and those who ex- 

 amine them together will readily perceive, by the 

 different aspects of all these birds, that they are 

 well marked and distinct species. 



In a popular treatise like the present, little will 

 be expected regarding the habits of song-birds in 

 a state of liberty. Observations of this nature are 

 more properly connected with scientific woirks on 

 their natural history ; but we have endeavoured to 

 illustrate, as much as possible, their manners in a 

 state of captivity, by anecdotes, which, to us at 

 least, render these little creatures very interesting 

 objects of attention, independent of their sweet 

 melody. Most of the hard-billed birds are sta- 

 tionary with us the whole year. Some of them, 

 however, migrate locally, from north to south, in 

 winter; but the soft-billed species are generally 

 summer birds of passage, and leave the island in 

 autumn and return to it in spring. 



By some observations made on the soft^billed 



