282 COMMON GRAY, OR BROWN LINNET. 
toe somewhat lengthened. Types, L. coma- 
bina, montium, fyc. 
Europe, Asia, America. 
Common Gray, or Brown Linnet, Linaria 
Canabina, Swain. — Linaria, Will. — Fringilla 
canabina, Linn. — F. linota, GmeL — Linaria 
canabina, Swain. Selby. — Linota canabina, Yarr. 
— Common or Brown, Gray, or Rose Linnet . — 
Greater Redpole of British authors . — This species 
is a common and generally distributed bird over 
the British islands, frequenting commons, furze 
covers, and the borders of muirland districts in 
summer, and then migrating to the coasts, the 
stubble lands, or fallows, in large flocks. To- 
wards the north of Scotland it becomes less 
frequent, its place being there taken up by another 
species, at least this is the case in the breeding 
time, and then a hundred pairs of the Mountain 
Linnet or T wite may be seen for one pair of the 
common species. Furze covers are a favourite 
breeding station for this bird, and many pairs 
may be seen where these abound, the male sit- 
ting perched on some elevated twig, singing a 
low but agreeable song. The nest is placed in 
a cleft of the whin or bush,* and is a rather 
* Mr Yarrell states, that he possesses a note of the 
nest of this bird being placed in a fir tree, ten or eleven 
feet from the ground, and has seen one built high in a 
white thorn bush.t 
t Hiatory of British Birds, i. p. 601. 
