38 



THE LINNET. 



This bird,which is the most common, and at 

 the same time one of the best of our native 

 songsters, is in its plumage far from being 

 either gay or elegant ; the top of the head, 

 neck, back, and tail, being of a dark reddish 

 brown, and the under parts of a reddish 

 dirty white; the breast is rather deeper 

 coloured than the rest; the sides are marked 

 with brown streaks ; and the wings, which 

 are the same colour as the back, have a bar 

 of white across them : the male may easily be 

 distinguished from the female, either in old 

 or young birds, by the greater depth and bril- 

 liancy of his colour, and by the white on the 

 wings being in smaller quantity, and more 

 dingy. 



The linnet is generally met with on moory 

 grounds, where it builds its nest, on either 

 a furze bush or a thorn, making the out- 

 side of bent grass, dry grass, roots, and 

 moss closely woven together ; the lining is 



