566 PERCHING BIRDS 



in 1904), but not in Wales. In winter twites migrate southwards in 

 large flocks. The nest is of the finch-type, but usually placed on the 

 ground ; and the eggs are light blue or bluish white, with red or 

 purple spots and lines, usually arranged in a ring round the larger end. 



Redpoll With the redpoll, or mealy redpoll, as it is usually 



fLinota linaria) called (the Camuxbina linaria of some books, the 

 Li)iaria linaria of others, and the AcantJiis linaria of 

 yet others), we come to the typical representative of a subsection of the 

 linnet group the members of which exhibit a great range of variation 

 within comparatively small limits, so that opinion is divided as to which 

 should be called species and which merely local races or subspecies. 



Of the typical redpoll, the cock in spring is characterised by the 

 blood-red forehead and adjacent portion of the crown ; the rose-pink, 

 mixed with white and blackish brown, throat and breast ; and the 

 crimson tinge of the loins ; the upper-parts being elsewhere mottled 

 and streaked with greyish, while the lower portion of the breast and 

 the flanks (which are streaked with dark brown) are dull white ; there 

 is also a black spot in front of the eye, and a second at the base of 

 the under side of the lower jaw. As usual, the more brilliant parts 

 are obscured after the autumnal moult by grey edges to the feathers, 

 which communicate a pallid tone to the entire plumage. Less red on 

 the head, more white on the lower-parts, darker upper-parts, and more 

 streaks everywhere characterise the hen ; while young birds have no 

 red at all, but a buff tinge to the feathers of the upper surface. 

 Redpolls are to be met with all round the North Pole, although some 

 difference of opinion exists as to whether the Siberian and American 

 birds should be reckoned as races or species. Be this as it may, the 

 typical redpoll is merely a winter-visitor, .somewhat irregular in its 

 appearance, to the British Isles. Redpolls, which are generally more 

 common in Scotland and on the east coast of England than in the 

 south, sometimes occur in unusually large numbers, a visitation of this 

 nature having taken place in the southern counties of England in 1895, 

 when large numbers were captured at Dover. In Ireland the species 

 is very rare, the first recorded occurrence dating only from the closing 

 quarter of last century. 



A larger form of redpoll, said to have a larger beak, and known as 

 Litiota holboclli, extends from northern Europe across Siberia and perhaps 

 North America. Of this race or species two examples are reported to 

 have been taken many years ago in Norfolk, while a third was recorded 

 from Ireland so recently as 1902, and another is reported from Tring. 



