LESSER REDI>OLE. 50 



><>ii, it is a permanent resident in the Fur Countries of 

 North America, where it may be seen in the coldest wea- 

 ther on the banks of lakes and rivers, hopping among the 

 reeds and carices, or clinging to their stalks. Although 

 numerous throughout the year, even in the most northern 

 districts, a partial southern migration takes place. Mr. 

 Audubon says, " They are abundant every cold winter in 

 the northern parts of Massachusets and Maine, as well as 

 in all the British provinces. Large flocks visit Pennsyl- 

 vania for a month or two in severe winters. 11 The Lesser 

 Redpole in Europe goes as far south as Rome and Sicily 

 in winter. Eastward from Norway, this bird is found in 

 Siberia ; and, according to M. Temminck, in Japan. 



The beak is brown, the under mandible pale brown ; 

 the irides dusky brown ; forehead deep red ; the head, 

 neck, back, wing-coverts, rump, and upper tail-coverts, a 

 mixture of dark and light brown, the centre of each fea- 

 ther being darkest ; the outer feather only of the small 

 wing-coverts tipped with wood-brown ; all the feathers 

 of the greater coverts tipped with pale brown, forming one 

 conspicuous bar ; quill-feathers brownish black, the pri- 

 maries with a very narrow edge, and the tertials with 

 broader edges of pale wood-brown ; tail-feathers not so 

 deeply forked, or near so long as those of the Mealy Red- 

 pole, but similar in colour ; chin with a patch of black ; 

 cheeks, sides of the neck, sides of the breast and flanks, 

 with dark brown streaks on pale brown ; the breast 

 strongly marked with vermilion red ; belly and under 

 tail-coverts dull brownish white ; legs, toes, and claws, 

 brown. 



The whole length four inches and one quarter. From 

 the carpal joint to the end of the wing, two inches arid 

 five-eighths ; the first three quill-feathers nearly equal in 



