BRITISH BIRDS. 
29 
this genus, the middle of the feathers being dusky, 
odged with dull pale brown : the greater coverts are 
tipped with white; the primary and secondary quills 
are dusky, the former slightly edged on the exterior 
webs with pale brown, the latter with white; the tail 
is forked, and of a very dark brown, slightly edged 
half way to the tips with a lighter colour ; and towards 
the base the outer webs are more distinctly margined 
with white, and the inner webs are still more deeply 
edged with that colour. The rump is of a bright lake 
coloured crimson ; the breast and sides are pale dull 
brown, rather indistinctly marked with spots and 
stripes of a darker colour; the belly is of a pale sil- 
very blea ; the vent feathers are wdiite with a streak 
of black down the middle one ; the legs and toes are 
dusky. The female nearly resembles the male, only 
she is without the red feathers of the rump. These 
birds frequent the solitary wastes of moors and fells, 
and make their nest in the furze bushes, or near the 
tops of the tallest heath, with which these places 
abound. The nest is composed of a great quantity of 
heath and dry grass, and slightly lined with wool and 
feathers : the eggs are of a pale bluish green, spotted 
with brown. Dr Latham treats of the Twite as a va- 
riety of the Mountain Linnet, while Mr Pennant ac- 
counts it to be of the same species. 
E 2 
