90 THE CANADIAN NATURALIST. 



C. — There is a pair of pretty birds in the road before 

 us : the crown of the head is bright crimson, and one of them 

 has a red breast. What are they ? 



F. — They are called the Lesser Red-poll (Fringilla 

 Linaria) ; this is one of the few birds which are found both 

 in Europe and America. It is not by any means a common 

 bird, as I have very rarely seen it. These, too, are finches, 

 and feed principally, if not wholly, on seeds : it is probable 

 they breed with us, as they are northern birds, but I have 

 never met with their nests. 



C. — The fields are beginning to look green in some 

 places ; and here are the young leaves of the Hop plant 

 (Humulus Lupulus) growing in a comer of the fence. 



F. — Professor Eaton gives the hop as a native of this 

 continent : but for his high authority, I should have rather 

 supposed that it had been introduced from Europe. The 

 hop grows remarkably fast ; I have known a shoot to grow 

 more than two inches and a quarter in twenty-four hours. 



C. — What large fish are those, which the man who just 

 passed us carried in his hand ? 



F. — They are called here " Longe," in other parts, 

 '' Maskilonge ;" and are esteemed fine eating. They are 

 caught in the neighbouring lakes, but I know nothing of 

 their natural history. They are often taken of great size. 



C. — I yesterday heard the voice of a bird near the edge 

 of the second-growth-poplar woods, which sounded strange 

 to me : it was like the words " pwilhelly, pwilhelly." I 

 approached, to try to get a sight of it, but found that it 

 receded before me, faster than I could pursue it, and it was 

 finally lost in the distance. 



F. — It was no stranger : neither more nor less than your 

 noisy acquaintance, the Blue Jay (Corvus Cristatus) ; the 

 screaming rogue has so many notes and strange cries, that 



