LESSER REDPOLL 269 



I read that "it frequents fir and pine woods, but only 

 when there are abundance of the cones." It may be 

 that the abundance of white pine cones last fall had 

 to do with their coming here. The hemlock cones were 

 very abundant too, methinks. 



LESSER redpoll; LINARIA 



Wov. 12, 1852. Saw a flock of little passenger birds * 

 by Walden, busily pecking at the white birch catkins ; 

 about the size of a chickadee ; distinct white bar on 

 wings ; most with dark pencilled breast, some with whit- 

 ish ; forked tail ; bright chestnut or crimson (?) front- 

 let ; yellowish shoulders or sack. When startled, they 

 went off with a jingling sound somewhat like emptying 

 a bag of coin. Is it the yellow redpoll ? 



Dec. 9, 1852. Those little ruby-crowned wrens (?) ^ 

 still about. They suddenly dash away from this side to 

 that in flocks, with a tumultuous note, half jingle, half 

 rattle, like nuts shaken in a bag, or a bushel of nut- 

 shells, soon returning to the tree they had forsaken on 

 some alarm. They are oftenest seen on the white birch, 

 apparently feeding on its seeds, scattering the scales 

 about. 



Jan. 3, 1853. The red-crowns here still. They ap- 

 pear to frequent one clump of birches a long time, for 

 here the snow beneath is covered with the seeds they 

 have loosened, while elsewhere there are none. They 

 hang by the twigs while they peck the catkins, and 

 others are busy on the snow beneath, picking up what 



1 Fringilla linaria [now called Acanthis linaria, the redpoll]. 



2 Lesser redpolls. 



