108 FRINGILLIDE. 



lines from the forehead, is very thick and strong at the base, 

 and conical in form, the upper mandible bending down a 

 little at the tip : the nostrils are covered by short hairs in- 

 clining forwards. 



This species varies greatly in its plumage at various periods 

 of the year, and under different circumstances of age and sex ; 

 so much so, that the differences of opinion respecting this 

 and some other allied species, that formerly prevailed, and 

 do not yet appear thoroughly cleared up, were very excus- 

 able ; we acknowledge, for our own part, to feel still some 

 remains of scepticism as to the fact of the red-breasted and 

 brown Linnets being identical, on account of their appearing 

 always so much smaller in the former state. 



In its adult summer-plumage, the male Linnet is a beau- 

 tiful bird : its colours are lively, and softly shaded one into 

 the other. At this period the forehead, and great part of 

 the breast, are brilliant scarlet, or poppy-red, shining with 

 metallic lustre ; the crowns of the head, nape, and ear-coverts, 

 are greyish-brown ; upon the top of the head, each feather 

 is darkest along the shaft, giving a mottled appearance : the 

 back and scapulars, the greater and lesser coverts of the 

 wings, and the edges of the tertials, are bright bay. The 

 quill-feathers of the wings are black, bordered along the 

 outer web with pure white : this border is, on the fifth and 

 four succeeding feathers, so wide as to form a large white 

 spot. The region surrounding the eyes, and the base of the 

 beak, are pale rufous-brown, the rest of the chin, and a 

 narrow collar beneath the ear-coverts, white, with a few 

 brown spots. The bright red of the breast is softly 

 shaded into rufous on the sides of the breast and flanks, 

 and the rest of the under parts are pure white. The tail 

 is black, with white edges to both outer and inner webs ; 

 the upper tail-coverts blackish-brown, broadly edged with 

 white. The under surface of the wings exhibit the broad 



