THE LESSER REDPOLL. 75 



says of Lesser Redpolls : " I have noted them in May settling themselves about 

 Glenalla in small flocks, and scattering to breed. About Rathmullan and Carra- 

 blagh they are also frequent in summer. In winter these birds come to roost, with 

 several other species, every night in the plantations round my house at Carrablagh, 

 where there is the best shelter for several miles. ' Very common about Killybegs 

 in the breeding season. Have known four nests in the hedgerows along the first 

 mile of the Donegal road from here, in the same season.' (A.B.)." 



Speaking of the species as observed by him in Wales, E. A. Swainson, of 

 Brecon, says : " I have noticed it every summer here for some years, but this 

 season (1891) it has been unusually common, and I have often heard its musical 

 little trill and triple flight-note about the alder swamps and adjacent hedges. In 

 June last I found two nests of this .bird, placed in honeysuckle growing in tall 

 hedges, each containing fresh eggs. Both nests had the usual lining of white 

 down, but one was peculiar in having a quantity of honeysuckle bark-strips inter- 

 woven amongst the grass round the outside of the nest. This beautiful little nest 

 contained four eggs, of a bright blue- green, blotched, two of them very boldly, 

 with reddish-brown." 



As a cage-bird the Lesser Redpoll is usually a great favourite, chiefly on 

 account of its tameness and a. certain amount of reasoning capacity which it 

 possesses, whereby it has discovered, under the pressure of hunger and thirst, that 

 it can pull up with its beak and hold with its claw little pails or waggons con- 

 taining its food or water : it is by no means the only bird which has been taught 

 this senseless trick, but many thoughtless bird-lovers seem to consider that all 

 captives (even birds) ought to be compelled to work for their living. I have seen 

 the process of teaching this bird in all its stages, and consider it anything but kind. 



The Lesser Redpoll in confinement is for ever fidgeting about on the wirework 

 of its cage, somewhat after the fashion of a Tit : during the breeding season the 

 male and female spend half the day in caressing like a pair of Love-birds; whilst 

 the song of the male at that season is frequent, but is a very poor performance, 

 not unlike a feeble Brambling's song, consisting (as already hinted) of a mere 

 monotonous trill, resembling a distant railway-guard's whistle : this trill is some- 

 times copied by young Canaries, and is considered ruination to their notes. 



My experience of this species in an aviary is that no Finch of its size is so 

 mischievously meddlesome as the Lesser Redpoll ; not only does it rarely breed, 

 but if another bird which happens to be building, leaves its nest for fresh material, 

 the Redpoll immediately flies down and commences to pull it to pieces. On the 

 other hand, Mr. G. C. Swailes, of Beverley, has been rather successful in breeding 

 Redpolls. 



