98 THE LINNET 



THE LINNET 



ACANTHIS CANNABINA 



Winter — head ash-brown, the feathers dusky in the middle, those of the 

 forehead more or less tinged with crimson ; back chestnut-brown, be- 

 coming brighter towards the scapulars and duller towards the tail ; tail- 

 feathers black, edged towards the tip with reddish grey, the outer ones 

 bordered with white ; primaries black, the first five with very narrow, the 

 next five with broad, white edges, the rest of the wing-feathers tinged 

 with red, all tipped with ash-grey ; under parts — breast-feathers dull 

 crimson or brown, edged with yellowish red ; abdomen dull white ; 

 flanks reddish yellow ; beak brownish horn colour ; feet and toes brown ; 

 tail moderate. In summer the beak is of a bluish lead colour ; feathers 

 of the forehead and crown greyish brown, tipped with crimson ; upper 

 plumage uniform rich chestnut-brown ; breast crimson, with a few pale 

 brown feathers intermixed. Length five inches. Eggs pale bluish grey, 

 speckled with deep red. 



It is not unusual in the country to hear mention made of the 

 Brown, the Grey, and the Rose or Red Linnet, and the Common 

 Linnet, as if these were all different birds. Such, however, is not 

 the case. The Linnet is a bird which varies its plumage con- 

 siderably at different seasons of the year, in consequence of which, 

 at a period when little attention was paid to Ornithology, the 

 same individual was known by whichever of these names best 

 described its characteristic colouring. Even by the earlier ornitho- 

 logists there were supposed to be two species, one of which was 

 called Linota, probably from its having been observed feeding 

 on flax-seed (Linum) ; the other Cannabina, from having been 

 seen to feed on hemp seed {Cannabis). Linnets offer themselves 

 to our notice in the evenings of autumn and winter more than 

 at any other time. Large flocks of them may then be observed 

 making their way, with rapid and irregular flight, towards tall trees 

 which happen to stand in the vicinity of a common or a furzebrake. 

 On the summits of these they alight, with their heads, in stormy 

 weather, always turned towards the wind, and after keeping up a 

 continuous twittering for a few minutes, suddenly drop into their 

 roosting-places among the furze and thick shrubs. At the return 

 of dawn, they issue forth to their feeding-grounds, still congre- 

 gated in large flocks, and spend the whole of the day in hunting 

 on the ground for food. This consists principally of the seeds of 

 various weeds, especially wild-mustard or charlock, wUd-cabbage, 

 and other plants of the same tribe, thistle and dandelion ; chance 

 grains of com no doubt are not passed by, but any injury which may 

 be done by these birds, either to standing crops or newly-sowed 

 lands, must be far outweighed by their sevices as destroyers of 

 weeds and insects, which latter also enter into their dietary. At 

 this season their only note is a simple call, mellow and pleasant, 

 which they uttter both while flying and when perched. In spring, 

 the flocks break up, and the members betake themselves in pairs 



