LESSER REDPOLE. 239 



structed than that of either of the preceding birds, 

 is formed of moss, intermixed with the down of 

 willow catkins, which also furnishes the inside 

 lining, and seems an indispensable material. In 

 procuring both this material and their food, they 

 exhibit considerable scansorial powers, hanging 

 and clinging to the slender twigs in all positions. 

 Their song is pleasing, but contains little modula- 

 tion or variety. In its extreme British distribu- 

 tion, it stretches over northern Europe, and extends 

 its range to the arctic portions of North America. 

 In Europe southward, M. Temminck remarks 

 that it is migratory in the temperate parts, but 

 in the south appears only at intervals of one or 

 two years : he also records it from Japan.* 



The male, in the breeding season, has the crown 

 of the head blood-red ; the sides of the neck and 

 breast carmine, becoming paler on the sides and 

 flanks, which are streaked with brown ; the fore- 

 head is hair brown ; the whole upper parts, in- 

 cluding the wings and tail, are deep umber brown ; 

 the feathers on the neck and back edged with 

 yellowish or grayish brown, to a greater extent in 

 some species than in others ; the lower part of 

 the back and rump tinted with carmine ; the wings 

 are nearly uniform in tint, except a dull bar of 

 pale brownish white, formed by the tips of the 

 coverts being of that tint ; the throat with a black 

 patch ; the centre of the belly and vent very pure 

 white. In the female the colours are duller, the 

 rump and breast sometimes slightly tinted with 

 * Supplement, Part I. p. 268. 

 T 



