194 TWITE. 
extremely rare, and it seems to be unknown in Pembrokeshire as 
well as Merionethshire, in Wales. 
On the Continent the Twite is found in summer among the 
islands and along the coast of Norway up to about 70° N. lat., but 
in Sweden it is scarce even in the sub-alpine districts, and it is 
somewhat doubtful if it nests in Northern Russia, On migration it 
visits Denmark and Northern Germany (sometimes passing in large 
numbers over Heligoland), Holland, Belgium and France; but it 
seldom goes far south, and its occurrences in Spain, Italy and 
Southern Russia, have been few and far between. In the east, how- 
ever, from the Caucasus and Asia Minor to Tibet, it is represented 
by L. drevirostris, which is little more than a paler form. 
The nest is often placed in heather, or in low fruit and other 
bushes ; sometimes in ivy, or among the grass growing on rocks 
by the sea-shore, or again, beneath a strip of turf which has been 
nearly reversed in ploughing or in road-making ; while on Rathlin 
Island I found one on the ledge of a cliff, 800 feet high, when 
seeking eggs of the Manx Shearwater. Fine roots for the outside, 
with an ample lining of wool, a little hair and a few feathers, are the 
materials employed; the eggs, usually 3-4, but sometimes 6 in 
number, being pale greenish-blue, blotched with reddish-brown, and 
rather more inclined to streakiness than those of the Linnet: 
measurements *7 by ‘5 in. Nidification commences about the 
middle of May, and two broods are sometimes produced in the 
season. The food consists largely of the seeds of charlock and 
other weeds, but in the Shetlands the bird is said to be somewhat 
destructive to the newly-springing turnips and cabbages. Its call- 
note is indicated by its monosyllabic name. The Twite is usually 
more shy than the Lesser Redpoll. 
The adult male in spring has the lores, cheeks and throat 
reddish-buff ; crown, nape and mantle hair-brown with paler edg- 
ings; wings dark brown, with whitish margins—very noticeable in 
flight—to the greater coverts, inner primaries and some of the 
secondaries ; rump rose-red ; tail-feathers brown, with whitish inner 
edges to the three outer pairs; breast and flanks buffish-white 
streaked with hair-brown ; belly dull white ; bill pale yellow; legs 
dark brown. Length 5 in.; wing 3 in. In winter the general 
appearance is greyer, and the bill is less yellow. The female has 
no carmine on the rump; the bar on the wing-coverts is buff; and 
the bill is dusky-brown at the tip. The young are somewhat duller 
in colour. 
