292 On the Occurrence of some of the Barer Species of Birds 



canary than the smaller kind, though the latter will do so some- 

 times." Another bird-fancier also told me that he knew the two 

 kinds well, and that they called the bigger sort " The Chevil/' or ; 

 "Chevril/" About the year 1857 Champion trapped a beautiful \ 

 white specimen of the larger sort, at Miles Court, near Fording- 

 bridge. This bird was pure white, with the exception of the yellow 

 on the wing, and the black and crimson on the head, and was a most 

 beautiful specimen, as may easily be imagined. He sold it the same 

 evening for 5s. 6d., as he feared it might get hurt amongst the other 

 birds, of which he had trapped a great number. 



Linaria Cannabina. " The Linnet." Common in suitable places. 

 Few people know the extreme beauty of the cock bird in his nuptial 

 dress. It is then one of our handsomest Finches, and its colours 

 when caged never reach in any degree the perfection it attains to in 

 its wild state. As Meyer says, " In adult summer plumage the 

 forehead and great part of the breast are brilliant scarlet, or poppy- 

 red, shining with metallic lustre/'' and there is many a person who 

 would not even know what bird it was, who has only been accustomed j 

 to see them as immature or caged specimens. I had a very pretty 

 pied specimen of this bird sent me from Hurdcott this autumn — 

 the whole plumage being speckled and spangled with white feathers. 



Linaria Montana. "Mountain Linnet/'' or " Twite/'' Here, 

 again, is a bird very little known or noticed amongst us, but which 

 is occasionally seen, and visits us, I believe — anyhow in the winter 

 —-annually. It may not at first sight be easy to distinguish it from 

 the hen or the young birds of the last species ; but by the careful 

 observer it can be at once distinguished from either Linnet or Red- 

 pole by its slenderer form, and greater proportionate length of tail. 

 In the cock bird also the lower part of the back is of bright crimson, 

 shading into brown, and this patch of colour in the male can always 

 be detected, at all seasons of the year, though it is less brilliant in 

 the autumn and winter months. Champion knows the bird well, 

 and has occasionally trapped them, though they are not so common 

 as most of our smaller birds ; but he has frequently taken three or 

 four of a day, and has caught them at Odstock Pond, and on Witts- 

 bury Down, during the months of August and September. The last 



