106 BRITISH BIRDS. 



FRINGILLA CANNABINA. 



LINNET. 



(Plate 13.) 



Passer linaria, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 131 (1760). 



Passer linaria rubra major, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 135 (1760). 



Passer linaria argentoratensis, Briss. Orn. iii. p. 146 (1760). 



Fringilla cannabina, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 322 (1766) ; et auctonim plurimorum 



— Qmelin, Scopoli, Latham, Temminck, Naumann, {Macgilliway), (Newton), 



{Dresser}, &c. 

 Fringilla linota, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 916 (1788). 

 Linaria linota (Omel), Bechst. Natwg. Beutschl. ii. p. 141 (1807). 

 Linota fringillirostris, Bonap. Consp. i. p. 539 (1 860). 

 Cannabina bella, Sempr. et Ehr.Jide Cab. Mus. Hein. i. p. 161 (1850). 

 Ligurinus oannabinua {Linn.), Koch, Syst. baier. Zool. 1. p. 231 (1816). 

 Linaria cannabina {lAnn.), Bote, Isis, 1822, p. 554. 

 Passer cannabina {Linn.), Pall. Zoogr. JRosso-Asiat. ii. p. 26 (1826). 

 Passer papaverina, Pall. Zoogr. Itosso-Asiat. ii. p. 27 (1826). 

 Linota cannabina (Linn.), Bonap. Comp. List B. Eur. Sr N. Amer. p. 34 (1838). 

 Cannabina linota {Gmel.), Gray, List Gen. B. p. 45 (1840). 



The Linnet is generally distributed throughout the British Islands^ prin- 

 cipally on commons and uncultivated lands. Its distribution is perhaps 

 more restricted in the breeding-season than at other times of the year; 

 nevertheless there is probably no suitable part of tbe mainland of the 

 United Kingdom in which the Linnet does not breed. It is found on the 

 Western Isles, even on the treeless islands, where it breeds amongst the 

 heather ; but it does not appear to visit Shetland. 



The Linnet breeds throughout Europe — in Scandinavia soutb of lat. 64°, 

 and in East Russia south of lat. 59°. In tbe most northern portion of its 

 range it is a migrant ; but south of the Baltic it is found in greater or less 

 numbers at all seasons of the year. To North-eastern Africa it is a winter 

 visitor as far south as Abyssinia ; but in Algeria, Tangiers, and Morocco it 

 is a resident. It is a resident in the Canaries and Madeira, but appears to 

 be absent from the Azores. It is a resident in Asia Minor, Palestine, 

 Persia, and Turkestan. It also breeds in the south-west of Siberia as far 

 east as the Altai Mountains. Examples from Central Asia have been 

 described as distinct under the name of F. fringillirostris {F. bella of 

 Cabanis) . This is a slightly larger and rathe rpaler form ; the red on 

 the breast and head is a little more scarlet, it has perhaps more white on 

 the rump, and the dark centres to the feathers on the back are less distinct. 

 Examples from Asia Minor are intermediate. The difference between the 



