18 FRINGILLID^. 



Genus ACANTHIS Borkliausen, Deutsche Fauna, i. 1797, 



p. 248. 



Type : A, linaria (Linn.). 



Acanthis, the thorn-bird, bo called by Aristotle, H. A. xix. 17, 2 ; a bird 

 feeding on thistles, axavdai. 



Acanthis cannabina. Linnet. 



Fringilla cannabina LinncBus, Syst. Nat. 1758, p. 182 : 



Sweden. 



Linota cannabina (Linn.) ; B. O. TJ. List, 1st ed. 1883, p. 63 ; 



Saunders, Manual, 2nd ed. 1899, p. 187. 

 Acanthis cannabina Sharpe, Gat. Birds £. M. xii. 1888, p. 240. 



Cannabina, from Kavvafiivos^of hemp, Kdvva(3ts. 



Distribution in the British Islands. — Besident, abundant, 

 and widely distributed, but local or rare in the Highlands and 

 Islands of Scotland. Many of our native birds leave in 

 autumn and return in spring, and hence are Summer 

 Visitors. 



General Distribution. — The typical Linnet is resident over 

 most o£ Europe, with the exception o£ the extreme north. 

 In the northern portions of its range it is a migrant, while 

 it is found occasionally in winter in Egypt and as far 

 south as Abyssinia. Allied forms have been described 

 from southern Europe, north-western Africa^ Madeira, the 

 Canary Islands, and from the Caucasus and Asia Minor 

 eastward to Kashmir. 



Acanthis linaria. Mealy Redpoll. 



Fring-illa linaria Linncms, Syst. Nat. 1758, p. 182 : 



Sweden. 



Linota linaria {Linn.') ; S. 0. U. List, 1st ed. 1883, p. 53 ■ 



Saunders, Manual, 2nd ed. 1899, p. 189. 

 Acanthis linaria SJiarpe, Cat. Birds B. M. xii. 1888, p. 245. 



iJ?Mi«a = belonging to flax, I'tnum. 



