68 LINNET 
The Brambling is a little-known migrant to Orkney and 
Shetland, in the latter of which it has however been seen 
in considerable numbers. It has only recently been recorded 
from the Outer Hebrides. 
LINOTA CANNABINA (Linn.). LINNET. 
RED LINNET, GREY LINNET. Manx, Philip; Ushag-y-lieen 
(Kermode)=bird of the flax; Bytermyn (Cr.) ; *Fillip-ny- 
Kempey=Philip of the hemp, z.e. Sparrow of the hemp, is 
in M. 8. D. rendered ‘Bunting,’ but belongs to this species. 
(‘ Philip’ or ‘ Phip’ is an old English name for the Sparrow.) 
Flax and hemp were both formerly cultivated in the Isle of 
Man, and the area under these crops was compulsorily in- 
creased by Act of Tynwald in 1692 (Moore’s History of the 
Isle of Man, p. 426). 
The Isle of Man is well adapted to the habits of the 
Linnet, there being much gorse and plenty of weedy waste 
land, and the species is common and well distributed, 
especially in winter, when the flocks are almost ubiquitous, 
except indeed on the grassy or heathy mountain wastes. 
Linnets occur frequently in the migration returns, often 
in flocks, and both in spring and autumn, but especially 
the latter, and occasionally joining in great rushes which 
included many species. Thus at the Chickens, 10th Novem- 
ber 1887 (Migr. Report, 1887, p. 105): ‘ Very great flock of 
Thrushes, Fieldfares, Larks, Linnets, Blackbirds, Starlings, 
Lapwings, Curlews, and a few Goldcrests, from about an hour 
after lighting time till the hght was extinguished. A great 
number struck the dome of the lantern and were killed, 
falling into the sea.’ Mr. Black says: ‘ The flocks are most 
dense to-night, and are all mixed together. It is no use 
