THE MEALY REDPOLL. 59 



Finland, in winter over Europe, but very rare in Mediterranean 

 countries. Replaced by other races from Asia Minor and Caucasus 

 to Persian Turkestan, etc., and in Tibet and Manchuria. 



CARDUELIS LINARIA 



21. Carduelis linaria linaria (L.) THE MEALY REDPOLL. 



FRINGIJLLA LINARIA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 182 (1758 Europe. 

 Restricted typical locality : the alder woods of Sweden). 

 Linota linaria (Linnaeus), Yarrell, n, p. 133 ; Saunders, p. 189. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 3). Adult male. Winter. Much resembling 

 C. 1. cabaret (p. 62) but in addition to larger size having crimson of 

 crown brighter ; hind-neck and mantle less tawny, paler buff and 

 often buffish-grey ; rump whiter with scarcely any buff and 

 occasionally with very few dark streaks ; upper tail-coverts tipped 

 greyish-white to pale buff ; stripe over eye, ear-coverts, and sides 

 of neck less buff, more greyish- white ; cheeks, throat, and breast 

 more pearly -pink, tips of feathers being whiter ; flanks greyish- 

 white, streaked dark brown with scarcely any buff ; edgings of 

 tail and wing-feathers and especially inner secondaries and tips 

 of greater and median wing-coverts pale buff to greyish-white. 

 Summer. No moult. Abrasion has same effect as in C. I. cabaret 

 and differences between the two forms in worn plumage are not so 

 observable but upper-parts of C. I. linaria are more marked with 

 greyish-white ; rump and flanks whiter ; remains of edgings of 

 tail and wings and tips of wing-coverts whiter. 



Adult female. Winter. Resembling that of C. I. cabaret but 

 with same differences as in male on upper-parts, sides of head, 

 flanks, wings and tail ; throat and breast huffish- white to white. 

 Summer. In very worn plumage difficult to distinguish, but rump 

 always paler. 



Nestling. (Not examined.) 



Juvenile. Like that of C. I. cabaret. 



First winter and summer. Male. Like that of C. 1. cabaret 

 with same differences as in adult female. More often with a little 

 pink on breast than in C. I. cabaret. 



Measurements and structure. <$ wing 72-78 mm., tail 49-58, 

 tarsus 14-16, bill from skull 8.5-10 (14 measured). ? wing 69-76. 

 Other details as in C. I. cabaret. 



Soft parts. As in C. I. cabaret. 



FIELD-CHARACTERS. Can always be distinguished in winter from 

 Lesser Redpoll by its paler coloration, having a greyer and less 

 tawny appearance (H.F.W.). 



BREEDING-HABITS. Breeds chiefly in birch-forest or on willows, 

 though exceptionally in grass-tussocks and on top of a 

 stump ; tends to breed in colonies, like Twite. Nest. Twigs of 



