LINNET. 



open commons and waste lands. The outside of 

 the nest is composed of bents, dried weeds, moss, 

 and straw, all matted together : the inside is lined 

 with fine soft wool, mixed with down stuff gathered 

 from dried plants, with a few horsehairs, made 

 exceedingly neat and warm. The female lays 

 four and sometimes five eggs, of a bluish white, 

 with red or purplish specks at the blunt end. It 

 has young ones by the middle of April or beginning 

 of May, and has two broods in the year. 



The female, which is considerably smaller than 

 the male, is more brown in the general tint of the 

 plumage, and varies little with the seasons. 



In the cage, these birds (says Bechstein) should 

 be fed on summer rape-seed only. It is not neces- 

 sary always to give them hemp-seed with it, and 

 they must not be fed abundantly ; for, taking little 

 exercise, they easily become fat, and sometimes 

 die from this cause : but a little salt mixed with 

 their food is useful, as it preserves them from many 

 diseases, and they like it. 



The Linnet is a very common bird throughout 

 Britain, extending as far as the Orkneys, where 

 it is abundant. 



The male bird will pair with the hen Canary, 

 and their progeny can scarcely be distinguished 

 from the Grey Canary. They are birds of very 

 gentle dispositions, easily tamed, and capable of 

 very considerable attachment to those who feed 

 and attend them. 



