306 OUR TsUTIVE SONGSTEHS. 



It is in the Scottish islands, and in the northern 

 connties of England, Scotland and Ireland, also, 

 that we find that pretty little bird, the Lesser 

 Redpole* [Linota Unaria), It is widely distributed 

 over the northern portions of Europe, and also in 

 northern Asia, and sings its pleasant song among 

 the dreary wilds of Kamtschatka and Siberia. In 

 some winters large numbers of these redpoles 

 come to us from Norway and Sweden, with moun- 

 tain linnets, siskins, and other birds. It is some- 

 times kept in a cage, when it shortly becomes 

 familiar, and feeds out of the hand of its owner. 

 It can also be taught a variety of little amusing 

 performances, but it has no great power? of song, 

 its strain consisting only of a few somewhat melo- 

 dious and oft-repeated twitters. This pretty, 

 graceful bird, seems never at rest, but clings in 

 every attitude to the boughs, and flits gracefully 

 about, while seeking its food among the catkins of 

 the birch or alder, sometimes stripping for its 

 nest the ball of the willow of its abundant down 



* The Lesser Redpole is four inches and a quarter in length. 

 Whole tipper plumage dark brown with pale edges ; forehead and 

 breast crimson ; throat black ; under parts pale brown, streaked 

 with darker brown on the sides ; beak and feet brown. The 

 females and young males are without the red on the breast. 



