broader inner edges of white; tail rather forked ; chin and
throat a mixture of brown and grey; breast Vermillion red,
with a few pale brown feathers intermixed; belly and
under tail-coverts pale wood-brown; the flanks darker yellowish
brown ; the under surface of the tail-feathers when
spread out exhibits a series of grey and white longitudinal
bars; legs, toes, and claws, brown.
The whole length of the bird five inches and three quarters.
From the carpal joint to the end of the wing-feathers,
three inches and one-eightli: the first three quill-feathers
nearly equal in length, but the first rather the longest; the
fourth feather one quarter of an inch shorter than the third.
In autumn and winter these birds have no red colour on
the head or breast; the beak is brownish horn colour; the
feathers of the head, cheeks, and ear-coverts, dark brown,
with lighter greyish brown edges; back, wings, and tail-
coverts, dark brown, the margin of each feather being lighter
in colour, but with less of the rich chestnut colour observed
in summer; quill and tail-feathers as in winter; throat,
breast, belly, and under tail-coverts, pale wood-brown,
with conspicuous longitudinal streaks of dark brown on the
breast.
Males do not in confinement acquire the fine red colour
which pervades the breast of a mature wild bird ; and a female
has been taken bearing a fine red breast, but this is not
generally the case. The particular plumage, however, assumed
during the breeding season by many species being a
periodical indication of constitutional and sexual vigour is
borne in degree by both sexes.
The female Linnet is a little smaller than the male,
and has the upper surface of the body rather lighter in
colour, and more varied with dark brown patches; the under
surface of the body slightly tinged with rufous, and streaked
with brown.
Young birds resemble the females, and have the breast,
belly, and flanks, streaked longitudinally with brown.
The vignette below represents the mode of using the clapnet,
a particular sort of ground-net in constant use among
London bird-catchers. It consists of two equal parts, or
sides, each about twelve yards long, by two yards and a half
wide, and these two sides are by an ingenious contrivance
pulled over together towards each other, so as to cover the
oblong space between their points of motion, which are in
parallel lines nearly as far apart as the width of both halves of
the net. Various call-birds, either fixed by braces, or confined
in small cages, are placed about the net to decoy the
wild birds down that come within sight or hearing. One
bird-catcher is represented in the act of pulling the two
halves of the net over to enclose and entrap the birds between
them ; the figure in the foreground, with his nets
packed at his back, exhibits the convenient portability of the
materials.