284: FINCHES, SPARROWS, ETC. 



or less marked with black on the back ; belly whitish ; wings and tail black, 

 the greater and middle wing-coverts, and sometimes tertials, tipped with 

 white. Ad. 9 . — Dull olive-green, yellow on the rump, grayer on the under 

 parts, mottled with blackish on the head and back; wings and tail as in 

 the (5 . Tm. 5 . — Similar to ? , but passes through a party-colored plumage 

 while becoming mature, and, as in the preceding species, is subject to much 

 variation. L., 6-05 ; W., 3-27 ; T., 2-41 ; B., -62. 



Range. — Breeds from the Northern States northward; in winter wanders 

 irregularly southward, sometimes reaching Illinois and Virginia. 



Washington, casual. Sing Sing, rare T. V., Oct. 2'J to Dec. 6. Cambridge, 

 irregular W. V. 



Nest.1 of twigs and strips of birch bark, covered exteriorly with moss 

 ( Usnea)., and lined with soft moss and hair, on the fork of an evergreen in 

 deep forests. Eggs., three (?), pale blue, spotted and streaked near larger end 

 with reddish brown and lilac, '80 x -55 (Chamberlain). 



Colonel Goss writes that in general habits these birds resemble the 

 American Crossbill. Their flight is swift and undulating. While 

 feeding and moving about they are quite noisy, almost constantly 

 uttering a plaintive wheep or cheepmg note. Their song is low, soft, 

 and sweet, much like that of the American Goldfinch. 



527. Acanthis hornemaniiii {Holb.). Greenland Redpoll.— Simi- 

 lar to the next, but "larger (length about 5-50-6-50), with proportionally- 

 thicker and less acute bill. 6 W., 3-37 ; T., 2-75 ; exposed culmen, -35 ; depth 

 of B. at base, -31." 



Range. — " Northern Greenland (breeding from 6{)°-73° N. latitude) and 

 eastern arctic America, south to Labrador in winter" (Kidgw.). 



527a. A. h. exilipes ( Coues). Hoary Redpoll. Ad. $ .—Bill very 

 sharply pointed, a small tuft of bristly feathers over the nostrils; crown-cap 

 bright red ; back dark grayish brown, the feathers more or less margined with 

 white ; rump white, generally unstreaked, and tinged with pink ; wings and 

 tail brownish fuscous, the feathers all more or less edged with white ; middle 

 of the throat blackish, breast tinged with pink, belly white, a few streaks on 

 the side. Ad. 9 . — Similar, but with no pink on the rump or breast. Im. — 

 Similar to the 9 , but without the red crown-cap. L., 5-00 ; W., 3-00 ; T., 

 2-30 ; B., -30. 



Remarks. — This species is to be distinguished from Acantliis linaria and 

 its races by the greater amount of white in its plumage, its unstreaked rump, 

 and comparatively unstreaked under parts. 



i^a^^e.— Arctic regions; south in winter rarely to the northern United 

 States. 



Cambridge, casual W. V. 



Nest.^ of grass and twigs lined with feathers, in a low tree or on the 

 ground. Eggs., three to five, white, tinged with blue or green, spotted with 

 reddish brown, '65 x -50 (Chamberlain). 



528. Acanthis linaria (linn.). Redpoll. Ad. 6 .—Bill very 

 sharply pointed, a small tuft of bristly feathers over the nostrils; crown-cap 



