LESSER REDPOLE. 515 



flocks from Michaelmas till April ; but is not often seen in 

 the south of England in summer. It is at once distin- 

 guished from the Mealy Redpole, last described, by its 

 smaller size ; and though not attractive from its notes, which 

 are little more than a lively twitter, its sprightly habits and 

 engaging confidence render it a general favourite, since it is, 

 of all the small birds, one of those that are the most easily 

 tamed. This species will breed in confinement; and W. 

 Rayncr, Esq." of Uxb ridge, lately sent me word that a Lesser 

 Redpole in his aviary made her nest, and laid five eggs dur- 

 ing the last summer, 1838. 



In some of the northern counties of England, and in Scot- 

 land particularly, this little bird is resident all the year ; 

 and of its habits, Mr. Selby says, that " during the summer 

 it retires to the underwood that covers the bases of our 

 mountains and hills, and that often fringes the banks of our 

 precipitous streams ; in which sequestered situation it breeds. 

 The nest is built in a bush or low tree, (such as the willow, 

 alder, or hazel,) of moss, and the stalks of dry grass, inter- 

 mixed with down from the catkin of the willow, which also 

 forms the lining, and renders it a jjarticularly soft and warm 

 receptacle for the eggs and young. From this substance 

 being a constant material of the nest, it follows that the 

 young are produced late in the season, and are seldom able 

 to fly before the end of June, or the beginning of July. 

 The eggs are four or five in number ; their colour pale bluish 

 green, spotted with orange brown, principally towards the 

 larger end." I have received the nest from Durham ; and 

 Mr. J. D. Salmon, formerly of Thetford, very kindly sent 

 me two nests of the Lesser Redpole, which were taken in 

 1835 and 1836 in the vicinity of Halifax in Yorkshire, 

 which may be considered the southern limit of its breeding 

 in this island. The eggs are seven lines and a half in 

 length, by five lines and a half in breadth. Pennant says, 



