ON THE MEALY LINNET. 
459 
inhabiting this country, are mutually distinguishable, namely, the little common 
Redpole, or Rose Linnet, and the subject of the present remarks; their exotic 
relatives I see no hopes of extricating. 
The Linnets of this form inhabit northern countries, or elevated tracts of cor¬ 
responding climate and productions. After the breeding season they descend in 
numerous flights to the plains. Their habits are more exclusively arboreal than 
in the typical representations of this genus, which resort more to the brake, and 
nidificate in bushes; the former according rather with the Siskin Goldfinches in 
their general economy, and frequently building like them on trees at a consider¬ 
able height, though more commonly in Willow-beds or brush-wood. The cha¬ 
racter of their plumage likewise resembles that of the allied group in question, 
being less hard than in the more characteristic Linnets, and agreeing also in tex¬ 
ture with that of the Crossbills, and ErythrospizcB^ which inhabit the same, coun¬ 
tries, and are all nearly connected by the tie of affinity, though presenting struc¬ 
tural modifications, requiring to be duly recognised in a systematic arrangement. 
The nestling plumage of all these groups, and more that could be added, pre¬ 
sents the same general longitudinally-streaked markings, which are permanent in 
a large proportion of them, more especially the females; and it is curious to 
observe how minute is the correspondence which prevails in the distribution of 
these markings, as well as in their subseqent colours. Thus, a young Crossbill, 
Siskin, or Redpole, will be found to accord feather by feather, exhibiting even 
the same medial pale streak along the back, and a similar dusky space on the 
throat; and when they have moulted, though the Crossbill loses its streaks, the 
red upon the male is brightest upon the crown, breast, and rump, where only the 
cock Redpole assumes that hue; and the beautiful crimson tint which coronates 
the latter, is represented in the male Siskin by a patch of black. There is a 
peculiarity in the red or roseate which the males (and less commonly the females) 
of all these birds, with the exception of the Siskin, assume to a varying extent, 
namely that it is never acquired by them in a state of captivity,—save in the 
instance of the young Crossbill very imperfectly, which species further differs in 
naturally [putting forth the tint in its full brightness at the autumn moult; 
whereas the common or Song Linnet developes dark brownish-maroon feathers 
(with deciduous greyish edgings), when it renews its plumage, which in Spring 
suddenly brightens into crimson; and the Redpole group, at their autumnal 
renovation, produce pinkish feathers similarly margined, the colour of which is 
also much enhanced towards the breeding season; in connection with which facts 
it may be remarked that the Crossbills very commonly (though not always, 
as has been asserted) fail to re-acquire the red plumage at their subsequent 
moultings, obtaining a saffron-tinted garb in its stead, resembling what the Red- 
poles assume when in confinement ; also that the wild Song Linnet occasionally, 
