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The firft circumftance I want to know is its fex, with regard to 

 which Linnaeus is filent in the 1 2th edition of his Syftema Natu- 

 rae, though published five years after his Fauna Suecica, where 

 the difference is indeed noticed. But my fpecimen hath a red head 

 and breaft, and by having heard it fing, I rather fuppofe it to be 

 a cock ; and how can I reconcile this to the plumage of a male 

 bird kept for fome years in a cage, which hath no red on either of 

 thefe parts? Here again Linnaeus fails me, who did not know, 

 that the common linnet, when he moults in captivity, never re- 

 affumes his red plumage. 



In my walks I happen to find a deferted neft of this bird, as to 

 the component parts of which Linnaeus gives me no information ; 

 as alfo with regard to the eggs, either in colour or number, nor 

 how long the hen fits upon them. 



I hear again the moft pleafing and mellow notes of this bird, 

 which being unnoticed by Linnaeus, my diftruft is again raifed 

 whether I may fuppofe the bird to be a linnet. 



I fee thefe birds alfo during the autumn and fpring flying in 

 large flocks, whilft fome of them have a different motion from 

 the reft, as likewife have a peculiar call: Linnaeus however is 

 filent as to this flock, confifting of linnets and twites, which at 

 thofe feafons often affemble together, as fieldfares and redwings 

 accompany each other during the winter.. 



In fact, the only circumftance which he adds to the dry de- 

 fcription feems rather to miflead the reader, becaufe he mentions 

 that the linnet chiefly lives on alder-feeds,., which it is believed this 

 bird never touches in England, or certainly does not make its prin- 

 cipal fubfiftence. 



After all, therefore, what inftrucYion have I reaped by con- 

 fulting Linnaeus, but that the common linnet is one fpecies of 

 fringilla noticed by him, which is about as much knowledge as 



is 



