LESSER REDPOLE. 593 



passing a seed from bill to bill, one individual sometimes 

 receiving from his two neighbours at the same time." 



Mr. Selby, who visited Sutherlandshire in June, 1834, 

 says, " The Lesser Redpole Linnet was met with where- 

 ever birch copse occurred. Several were shot, but all 

 appeared of the common species, and none could be as- 

 signed to the larger variety, or L. borealis." This appears 

 to me to be additional evidence that the larger, or Mealy 

 Redpole, is a species distinct from the smaller. I do not 

 find a single record of the Mealy Redpole breeding in 

 this country ; but the nest and eggs of the Lesser Redpole 

 may be obtained without difficulty every season. The 

 Rev. Mr. Low includes it among the birds of the Orkneys, 

 observing, that it builds in Hoy, among the small shrubs 

 and heath, frequenting the farmyards in winter. 



Miiller and Professor Nilsson say that this bird inhabits 

 Denmark and Scandinavia generally. Mr. Hewitson saw 

 it in Norway ; and Captain W. Scoresby, in his account 

 of the Arctic Regions, says, " On our approach to Spitz- 

 bergen, several Lesser Redpoles alighted on different parts 

 of the ship, and were so wearied apparently with being on 

 the wing, though our distance from the land was not 

 above ten miles, that they allowed themselves to be taken 

 alive. How this little creature subsists, and why a bird 

 of such apparent delicacy should resort to such a barren 

 and gelid country, are questions of some curiosity and 

 difficulty. It must be migratory; and yet how such a 

 small animal, incapable of taking the water, can perform 

 the journey from Spitzbergen to a milder climate, without 

 perishing by the way, is difficult to conceive. Supposing 

 it to take advantage of a favourable gale of wind, it must 

 still be at least ten hours on the wing before it could reach 

 the nearest part of Norway, an exertion of which one 

 would imagine it to be totally incapable." 



VOL. I. Q Q 



