THE LINNET. 
Males one year old have no red on the head, and more 
dashes of black; the breast is pale-red, waved with pale and 
dark; the under part of the feathers on the breast is only a 
bright, reddish-grey brown; the edges of these feathers are of a 
reddish-white; the back rust-color, having detached spots of 
dark-brown and red dish-white. These birds are known under 
the name of “ grey linnets.” 
After the second moulting, if the reddish-grey feathers tre 
blown aside, blood-red specks may be discovered on the 
forehead, and the red of the breast is only hidden by the 
wide yellowish-white borders to the feathers; these are the 
“ yellow linnets,” or the 44 rock linnets,” as they are called in 
Thuringia. 
Besides th.ese three different varieties of plumage of the 
males, there are several clouded, produced by the seasons and 
old age; for instance, the older they become, the redder the 
head is. Birds brought up in the house never acquire the fine 
red on the forehead and breast, but remain grey like the males 
of one year old; on the other hand, old ones, red when brought 
into the house, lose their beautiful colors at the first moulting, 
and remaining grey like the young ones, are no more than 
grey linnets. 
This difference of color does not take place in the females, 
which are smaller than the males; the upper part of the body 
is grey, streaked with dusky-brown and yellowish-white, on 
the rump, with greyish-brown and reddish-white; these spots 
are more numerous on the breast; the wing coverts are a 
dusky-chestnut. The females are distinguished in the nest by 
the back being more grey than brown, and by the number of 
streaks on the breast, which resemble that of the lark; bird 
fanciers leave these in the nest and take only the males. 
Linnets breed twice a-year, and lay each time from four to 
six bluish-white eggs, covered all over with flesh-colored 
and reddish-brown spots and stripes. The male birds may 
be recognised in the earlier stage of their growth by the 
white ring round the neck, and the white on the tail and 
4 wings- 
