BREEDING HABITS OF WINTER MIGRANTS. 155 



but which I should describe as " tzink, tzink " ; (2) A 

 note which is used by the Greenfinch, and which I should 

 render " e-eh," " e-eh " ; (3) The usual winter call-note 

 of the species. All these notes are used at the nest, 

 the first most frequently. 



Mealy Redpolls (Linota linaria) were breeding freely 

 in the birches at a height of from four to six feet, forming 

 very neat and inconspicuous nests in the fork, slightly 

 larger than those of the Lesser Redpoll, but very much 

 like them. They were plentifully lined with feathers. 

 The usual clutch was five. There had been some 

 abnormally cold weather just previous to my arrival in 

 Lapland, during which many of the eggs of this species 

 had got frozen, and where this occurred the birds had 

 deserted the nest. These pairs were nesting a second 

 time early in July. 



I was passing through a small grove of low birches on 

 June 17th, and noticing a plaintive twittering amongst 

 them, some yards distant, I walked towards the quarter 

 from which it proceeded, to investigate. I found the 

 sounds proceeded from a female Redpoll on a nest at a 

 height of about five feet. I stood quite still at a distance 

 of about two feet from her for perhaps a minute, during 

 which time she continued to scold me. I then slowly 

 stretched out my arm towards her. When my hand 

 was about six inches distant she fluttered on to a low 

 branch three or four feet on the other side of the nest, 

 and was then joined by the male. They both scolded 

 me from this spot for half a minute or so. Meanwhile 

 I put my hand in the nest, which contained newly-hatched 

 young, and then withdrew it, maintaining my stand. 

 Immediately my hand was withdrawn the hen returned 

 to the nest, and settled down upon it with her head 

 turned towards me, scolding all the time. The male 

 remained hopping about the branch left by the female, 

 and scolding. It was one of the prettiest ornithological 

 episodes I have seen. Both birds were in perfect breeding 

 plumage, and were very beautiful, 



