

MEALY REDPOLL. 141 



with those from Scandinavia, while others from Greenland 

 shew that it reaches that country in summer. But Green- 

 land is also one of the homes of another and larger form of 

 Redpoll which, occasionally visiting Great Britain and the 

 continent of Europe, has been commonly, though erroneously, 

 adjudged to he the Linaria canescens of Mr. Gould but is the 

 L. hornemanni of Holboll *, while in North America no fewer 

 than five other " species " of Redpoll have been elaborately 

 described or admitted by Dr. Coues (Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. 

 Philad. 1861, pp. 222, 373-390; 1863, p. 40; 1869, p. 

 180). On these it is here unnecessary to pass an opinion, 

 but it may be remarked that, according to Prof. Baird (Hist. 

 N. Am. Birds, i. p. 492), only two of them satisfy the 

 criticism of Mr. Ridgway, viz. Linota linaria and L. 

 liornemanni (the canescens of many authors). 



To return however to our own bird in the Old World. To 

 the eastward, as will have been gathered, we can but guess 

 at its distribution, and must at present continue in doubt as 

 to the form of Redpoll which pervades nearly the whole of 

 European Russia, appearing in winter so far to the south- 

 ward as Odessa. Even in Central Europe little that is 

 positive can be asserted, for few of the German ornithologists 

 have discriminated it from its near ally the Lesser Redpoll 

 next to be described ; but it is supposed to breed occasionally 

 in Thuringia and is probably a more or less regular winter- . 

 visitant throughout Germany, since it has been obtained at 

 Vienna and even in Styria, where it is said by Herr Hanf to 

 breed yearly (Verhandl. zool.-bot. Gesellsch. 1856, p. 694), 

 and Carinthia, and at times occurs in Switzerland, where Col. 

 Ward informs the Editor it was very abundant in the Canton 

 Vaud during the winter of 18745. It appears in Italy, but, 

 according to Dr. Salvadori, does not pass beyond the middle 

 of the peninsula. t In the south of France it has been for 

 many years known to occur, though, says Roux (who was 

 one of the first to follow Vieillot in recognizing its distinct- 



* Naturhist. Tidsskrift, iv. p. 398. 



f This author cites some supposed instances of its breeding near the lake of 

 Como, but herein there may be a mistake on the part of the observers. 



