Till': AIkalv Rhdi'oll 75 



she is also darker above, more prominentl}' streaked below, and wants the rose- 

 colouring on the rump, the tliroat, and breast. The youug chiefly differ from the 

 female in the lack of crimson on the forehead, and in the more sand}' colouring 

 of the upper parts. 



In confinement, the crimson and ros}' colouring entirely disappears after the 

 first moult, excepting in large and well ventilated aviaries, when it is sometimes 

 partially retained : this statement also applies to the Lesser Redpoll, the Twite, 

 and the Linnet. 



In its habits, this and all the Redpolls are much alike, restless, fidgety little 

 creatures, Tit-like in their actions, inquisitive, and mischievous ; but intelligent, 

 and, therefore, easy to teach all kinds of meaningless tricks : principally on account 

 of the last qualification they have become favourite cage-birds with that class of 

 persons which is charmed with what is unnatural. To the true lover of nature 

 a talking bird may be amusing, because it is the nature of many birds to imitate 

 sounds ; but a performing bird is offensive. 



Seebohm (Hist. British Birds, Vol. II, pp. 118- 119) has some interesting 

 observations on the habits of this species, both abroad and in this country, which 

 are worth noting. He says that in winter they are principally ground-feeders, 

 which we should have expected to be the case from what we know of Linnets and 

 Goldfinches; like which birds they "alight in a flock on a bed of dead thistles," 

 and amuse themselves by picking them to pieces. He also records the fact of 

 their picking seeds from the droppings of horses on the roads ; which is instructive, 

 as showing that they look upon oats and kindred grain as wholesome food ; a 

 fact which aviculture taught me many years ago. 



The nest of the Mealy Redpoll is usually placed in the fork of a birch-tree 

 at no great height from the ground , it has also been found in grass-tussocks ; it 

 is neatly constructed of twigs, bents, strips of bark, and lichens, or moss ; the 

 lining of willow-catkins, vegetable-down, hair, wool, and sometimes feathers. The 

 eggs number from five to six, and vary in colour from pale greenish to 

 pale bluish, with dark brown surface-spots, and paler red-brown underlying 

 markings. 



Although there is no satisfactory evidence to prove that the Mealy Redpoll 

 has ever bred in Great Britain, a male in breeding-plumage was observed at 

 Riddlesworth, in July, 1848, and noticed by Prof. Alfred Newton in the " Zoologist" 

 (^p. 2382) ; still this bird may possibly have escaped from an out-door aviary after 

 a few months confinement. 



The song of this species, if such it can be called, is merely a prolonged 

 trill, such as may be imitated either by vibrating the soft palate as you whistle. 



