RED-POLL. 



517 



GENUS XXVL ACANTIIIS. THE RED-POLLS. 



GsN. Ch. Bill, very short, acutely pointed, outline of upper mandible, curved, straight or even convex. 

 Nostrils, concealed by nasal tufts. Wings long, folding beyond the middle of tail. Tail, considerably 

 forked. Feet, rather small. Plumage, ijuite thick. We have five 

 species within our limits. 



The whole matter concerning the species and sub-species of Red- 

 polls has until recently been in a sad state of confusion, and even now 

 does not appear to be quite settled. That we have five distinct forms 

 appears to be the almost universal opinion, and with this I agree, but 

 I do not exactly coincide with the e.xpressed opinions regarding the 

 exact rank of some of these species. 



The following account of the Red-polls is based upon ray 

 observations made on a large series of specimens and represents my 

 conclusions upon the same. 



A B 



Fig. 56. Hea<l of .Adult Male 

 Red-poll in winter. A, bill of Hoary 

 Red-poll. B, bill of Greater Red-poli. 



ACANTHIS LINARIA, 



Red-poil. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Cn. Size, medium. Form, rather robust. Outline of upper mandible, straight. Color. Adult, 

 male in winter. Top of head, crimson. Above, including wings and tail, dark brown, with the feathers 

 broadly edged with yellowish, which becomes ashy on nape, and white, tinged with rosy on rump and 

 upper tail coverts. Beneath, white, strongly tinged with rosy, excepting on abdomen and under tail coverts, 

 and streaked on sides and flanks with dark brown. Chin, dark brown. Sides of head, ashy tinted with rosy. 

 Forehead and superciliary stripe, ashy. Both rows of wing coverts are tipped with yellowisli white, forming 

 bars. The female is similar but lacks the rosy beneath and the chin patch is more e.xtended Young male, 

 similar to the female. Adults in summer. Through the wearing away of the light tippings of the feathers 

 the dark of the back becomes much more e.xtended, and the red beneath is diffused. Iris, brown. Feet, 

 blacli. Bill, yellow, black at tip. 



Nestlings are streaked throughout above and below, and lack in midsummer the red of the crown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



This is the most common species of Red-poll that visits the Northern United States in winter and it appears 

 to range farthest south of any, occasionally reaching Washington, Kentucky and middle Missouri It also 

 breeds farthest south of any of the species, nesting at least as far south as the Magdalen Islands, Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence, from which point I have received the young in the nestling plumage. The points of difference 

 between this and the allied forms and species are given under each separate heading. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Length, 5.00 to 5.40; stretch, 8.55 to 8.75 ; wing, 2.75 to 2.80 ; tail, 2.30 to 2.40 ; bill, .30 to .35 ; tarsus, 

 ,50 to .55. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in bushes, tufts of grass, or in cavities in trees or rocks, composed of twigs, grass, etc., 

 lined with fine grasses, cottony material from willows and feathers. Eggs, four to six in number, oval in form, 

 pale bluish green in color, spotted usually about the larger end with yellowish brown. Dimensions, .52 bj 

 65 to .48 by .62. 



