LINNET. 109 



there can be no doubt they are highly serviceable to the agriculturist. 

 They usually keep to themselves, but very often a few birds will intermingle 

 with Greenfinches, Twites, Redpoles, or Chaffinches. The flight of the 

 Linnet is rapid but undulating. A flock wiU sometimes wheel and poise 

 in the air, displaying great powers of wing, especially when alarmed from 

 their feeding-places. Upon the ground this bird hops with ease, and also 

 displays considerable dexterity in clinging to the stems of weeds, such as 

 thistles and docks. 



The food of the Linnet is largely composed of seeds of various kinds. 

 It does not feed much on grain, although it is sometimes seen on the newly 

 sown wheat-fields ; but it eats the seeds of the smaller plants, especially of 

 those that are troublesome to the farmer, such as docks, nettles, dandelions, 

 thistles, charlocks, &c. It is also, as is well known, very fond of hemp 

 and kindred seeds. Insects doubtless form part of its food in summer; but 

 Naumann states that it feeds its young on seeds carefully shelled and 

 partially softened in its crop. In winter it is said to feed on various 

 berries ; and Macgillivray states that it has been known to eat oats. 



Although the Linnet is a resident in this country it is probable that 

 many, if not most of the birds of the year join the flocks of this species 

 that pass our islands every autumn, and migrate further south with 

 them. On the east coast, flocks of these birds may be seen as early as 

 July frequenting the weedy pastures and the " denes '•' or " links," as these 

 sand-hills are locally called. In autumn they are joined by other migrants, 

 probably from the continent. Dixon has seen flocks of Linnets arriving 

 at intervals, day after day, from the sea on the Lincolnshire coast, and 

 passing south-west together with Redwings and other birds ; whilst on the 

 south coast great numbers are caught during the autumn migration at 

 Brighton and other places. 



The adult male Linnet in breeding-plumage has a crimson frontal patch 

 reaching to the centre of the crown ; the rest of the head, the nape, and 

 the sides of the neck are brownish grey, shading into chestnut-brown on 

 the back and into pale chestnut-brown on the rump, each feather, including 

 the mng-coverts and innermost secondaries, having an obscure dark centre ; 

 the upper tail-coverts are blackish brown, broadly edged with huffish white ; 

 the quills are dark brown, margined with white on the outer web ; the 

 tail-feathers are dark brown, with white margins, which are especially 

 broad on the inner webs ; the general colour of the underparts is bufl', 

 shading into dull chestnut-brown on the flanks and into huffish white on 

 the belly and under tail-coverts, and richly suffused with carmine-red on 

 the breast ; there are a few indistinct dark streaks on the chin, throat, flanks, 

 and imder tail-coverts. Bill lead-colour, paler at the base Of the lower 

 mandible; legs, feet, and claws brown; irides hazel. The female differs 

 from the male in having no crimson on the crown or breast, in having the 



