FRINGILT,IN/E. 





THE MEALY REDPOLL. 



AcANTHis LiNARiA (Liniifeus). 



The logical separation of the various species or races of Redpolls 

 is one which presents unusual difficulties. The latest worker on the 

 subject, Mr. R. B. Sharpe, considers (Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xii. 

 pp. 245-257) the Mealy Redpoll, Acanthis linaria, as a main stem, 

 if I may use the term, with three subspecies, viz. : A. holboelli, 

 rather larger and with a very much longer bill, found " in Northern 

 Europe from Scandinavia to Eastern Siberia," and, as a rare straggler, 

 twice in Norfolk; A. ivstrafa, "only distinguishable by the coarser 

 striping of the under parts and by the stouter and more obtuse bill," 

 inhabiting Greenland and North-eastern America ; and our smaller 

 and ruddier Lesser Redpoll, A. rufcscens, of which more hereafter. 

 A. exilipes, with greyer rump, Mr. Sharpe considers to be a good 

 species, with a range extending from Northern Scandinavia across 

 Siberia, and throughout Northern America ; while he puts down 

 as a subspecies of A. exilipes the rather larger A. Jwrnemanni, of 

 Eastern North America, Greenland, Iceland and Spitsbergen, one 

 example of which has been recorded by Mr. John Hancock, under 

 the name of Linaria canescens, as having been obtained near Whit- 

 burn, Northumberland, on April 24th 1855. The whole question 

 is incrusted by a voluminous literature, in which hardly two 

 authors agree as regards specific value or synonymy ; but, for the 

 sake of convenience, I propose to treat the Mealy Redpolls under 



