brown, with lighter brownish-grey edges; the back and upper
wing-coverts, dark brown, the margin of each feather being
lighter; the quills remain as in summer; but the throat,
breast, belly and lower tail-coverts, are pale wood-brown,
with conspicuous streaks of dark brown on the breast.
Males when caged never acquire the fine crimson seen on
the head and breast of wild birds ; and such as are caught
when possessing it speedily lose it in captivity. Naturalists
generally believe that, this brilliant tint is not assumed till
the second year or even till after the second moult *, but it is
an undoubted fact that many Linnets are found breeding
without the red breast, and this, as would appear, especially
in the north of England, though in the south some trace of
the ruddy colouring may nearly always be found in the
summer-plumage of the cocks. Its development indeed
seems due, as was stated long ago by Temminck and since
confirmed by (xloger, Macgillivray and Herr Meves, to the
weathering of the brown fringes of the feathers, may be
through rain, and possibly also to the action of light in dissipating
the duller hues. To this last cause perhaps may be
attributed the alleged fact of the Madeiran examples retaining
their gay tints all the year round.
The whole length is about five inches and three-quarters :
from the carpal joint to the tip of the wing, three inches and
an eighth; the second primary is usually the longest, but
there is some individual variation in this respect, the third
being occasionally longer than the second, but both are
always longer than the fourth, which is about a quarter of an
inch longer than the fifth, while the first as stated among the
generic characters is so small as to be easily overlooked.
The female is a little smaller than the male, and has the
upper parts dark brown, each feather, however, being broadly
edged with light rufous-brown; while the lower parts are
dull ochreous-brown, slightly tinged with rufous, and streaked
* Mr. Hancock, however, has very recently stated “ that the males, from shedding
the nest feathers get a red breast, which they retain only during the first
season ; they then assume the garb of the female, which is retained for the rest of
their lives.” With the greatest respect to the experience, judgment and acute
observation of his friend, the Editor is compelled to think this opinion mistaken.
with dusky-brown. A female is said however to have been
taken bearing a fine red breast.
The young much resemble the female,, but have less of
ochreous-brown and none of the rufous tinge on the breast,
belly and flanks.
The vignette represents the mode of working clap-nets, a
very effectual engine in constant use among birdcatchers.
It consists of two equal flaps of net, each about twelve yards
long by two yards and a half wide, which by a simple contrivance
can be simultaneously pulled over towards each
other, so as to cover the space between their points of
motion, which are in parallel lines nearly as far apart as the
width of both flaps. Call-birds, either caged or tethered by a
brace, are set about the nets to decoy their wild brethren
that come within sight or hearing. One birdcatcher is
represented in the act of pulling the two flaps over to
enclose the birds between them: the man in the foreground,
with his nets packed at his back, exhibits their convenient
portability; while the boy with the bird-call already m his
mouth shews another needful accessory to success.