288 THE LESSER RED-POLL. 



the belly is of a very pale ash, or dull white ; the sides are 

 streaked with dusky ; the whole upper parts are brown or 

 dusky, the plumage edged with yellowish white and pale ash, 

 the latter most predominant near the rump ; wings and tail 

 dusky, the latter is forked, and consists of twelve feathers 

 edged with white ; the primaries are very slightly tipped and 

 edged with white ; the secondaries more so ; the greater and 

 lesser coverts are also tipped with white, forming the bars 

 across the wings ; thighs cinereous ; legs and feet black j hind 

 claw considerably hooked, and longer than the rest. 



The female is less bright in her plumage above ; and her 

 under parts incline more to an ash color ; the spot on her 

 crown is of a golden crimson, or reddish saffron. 



One male specimen was considerably larger than the rest j 

 it measured five inches and three-quarters in length, and nine 

 inches and a quarter in breath ; the breast and rump were 

 tawny ; its claws were uncommonly long, the hind one mea- 

 sured nearly three-eighths of an inch ; and the spot on the 

 crown was of a darker hue than that of the rest. 



The call of this bird exactly resembles that of the Frin- 

 gilla tristis, or common yellow-bird of Pennsylvania. 



The. Red-polls linger in the neighborhood of Philadelphia 

 until about the middle of April ; but whither they retire for 

 the business of incubation we cannot determine. 





