THE LESSER REDPOLL. 173 



Mr. Lockie writes to me that this species breeds every 

 year in the neighbourhood of Corsbie Tower, Spottiswoode, 

 and Hydsidehill. It constructs a neat nest, composed of 

 twigs, dry grass, moss, and wool, lined with vegetable down, 

 such as from the catkins of the willow, and sometimes with 

 feathers and hair. The eggs, which are from four to six in 

 number, are generally greenish blue marked with reddish 

 brown. 



The Lesser EedpoU is recorded in the History of the 

 Benvickshire NatiLralists Cliib as visiting the following 

 places in the County: — Kear AUanton;^ wood at Luggy; 

 Lauderdale;^ Penmanshiel ; " Duns Castle woods;"* Old 

 Thirlestane ;^ Gordon Moss f and Edington Mill.^ I have 

 likewise notes of its occurrence near the Grange Wood, in 

 Coldingham parish; and on the Leader below Ehymer's 

 Mill, near Earlston. Several Eedpolls were caught while 

 feeding on the alders by the side of the millpond at Nabdean 

 near Paxton, in December 1887, the bird-catchers using a 

 long slender stick, smeared at the point with bird-lime to 

 take them, in the same way as they capture Siskins. 



There is no record of the occurrence of the Mealy 

 Redpoll (Linota linaria) in Berwickshire. Mr, Seebohm 

 considers this and the Lesser Eedpoll as forms of the same 

 bird.^ 



1 Hist. Ber. Nat. Club, vol. vii. p. 284. ~ Ibid, vol, vii. p. 303. 



3 Ibid. vol. vii. p. 513. 4 jtid. vol. vii. p. 513. 



5 Ibid. vol. vii. p. 521, 6 jbia. vol. ix. p. 561. 



7 Ibid. vol. X. p. 573. 8 Seebohm, Brit. Birds, ii. 115. 



