222 FRINGILLID^E : FINCHES. 



covered with snow, and the weather was severe. The 

 parents were so devoted to their charge that they were 

 removed from the nest by hand. The eggs were four 

 in number, measuring 0.85x0.53, of a greenish-white 

 ground-color, beautifully blotched, marbled, and dotted 

 with various shades of lilac and purplish-brown. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Allen some specimens procured by Mr. 

 Horace Mann, at Weston, Mass., in May, 1862, were 

 so immature that it seemed hardly possible to suppose 

 they were not bred in the immediate vicinity. Mr. E. 

 P. Bicknell has lately given some interesting particu- 

 lars of a nest found in New York, near the Connecticut 

 line, April 22, 1879 (Bull. Nutt. Club, v, 1880, p. 7). 

 Such facts as these corroborate and establish what 

 has been said respecting the preceding species that 

 a pair of Crossbills may be found nesting anywhere 

 in New England. 



RED-POLL LINNET. 



LINARIA (Z.) Cab. 



Chars. A small species, with extremely acute bill, conspicuously 

 ruffed at base of upper mandible, long pointed wings and rather 

 short forked tail, nearly all the plumage streaked with light and 

 dark colors ; crown with a crimson patch ; chin dusky. Male, 

 adult: Upper parts streaked with flaxen and dusky in about 

 equal amounts ; rump rosy-white, always streaked with dusky ; 

 below, white, heavily streaked except on the belly, the breast 

 tinged with rosy ; bill mostly yellow, but black in summer ; feet 

 blackish. Female and young: Similar, and showing the crimson 

 crown -patch, but lacking the rosy on the rump and breast. 

 Length, 5.00-5.50 ; extent, 8.50 ; wing, 2.75 ; tail, 2.25 ; middle 

 toe and claw as long as the tarsus. 



