558 FRINGILLIDj;. 



twenty-three years ago, the Mealy Eedpoles were very 

 abundant for a time ; but not a single Lesser Eedpole 

 scarcely was then to be got ; and Mr. Gould mentions that 

 in the year 1829, the Mealy Eedpoles were again particu- 

 larly abundant, and were caught in great numbers. 



The best specimens I possess of this bird were given me 

 by my friend Mr. Henry Doubleday of Epping, who sup- 

 plied me also with the following observations. " During a 

 visit to Colchester in January 1836, I observed some Eed- 

 poles feeding on the alder, in company with the Siskin. 

 On shooting some, they proved to be the Mealy Eedpole, 

 and I am convinced were all of this species, as I could 

 plainly see their pale or nearly white rumps. A friend 

 from Colchester brought me a pair alive ; these I kept 

 some time, and there was certainly a difference in their 

 note, being sharper ; but as they had been kept some weeks 

 with a number of Canaries, I thought it possible that the 

 Mealy Eedpoles had caught part of the Canary ""s note. 

 When I was at Colchester, I could form no opinion of the 

 Mealy Eedpole 1 s note in a wild state, from the continual 

 chatter of the Siskins. In Charles Lucian Bonaparte's 

 Catalogue of the Birds of Europe and North America, 

 three Redpoles are given, viz., our common one, Linota 

 linaria, Linota canescens, Mr. Grould's plate of the Mealy 

 Eedpole being referred to for this species, and Linota 

 Borealis, which is stated to inhabit Europe generally ; now 

 I always thought that the Borealis of M. Temminck was 

 our Mealy Eedpole. When skinning this bird, the head 

 has always appeared to me broader than that of the common 

 species; but I am sorry that I have not a skull to make 

 the comparison, as I have had so few specimens of the 

 Mealy bird." This desideratum, in further proof of 

 the distinction between this bird and our common Eedpole, 



