THE LESSEE EEDPOLE. 259 



the open air, whilst the cage of the other was hung on the out- 

 side of the window, as a pledge for the return of his friend. 

 When at liberty, they appeared greatly delighted with the com- 

 pany of the wild Linnets, with whom they would range for seve- 

 ral hours together ; but the temptations even of love and liberty 

 could not induce this little Damon and Pythias to forsake each 

 other. As soon as the hour of rest approached, the sportive 

 wanderer always returned to the empty cage, which was placed 

 by the side of that of his friend." 



108. THE LESSEE REDPOLE. 

 Fringilla Linaria, LIN. Sizerin, BUF. Der FlachsfinJc, BECH. 



Description. The Lesser Redpole resembles the Linnet in 

 the colour of its plumage, but in shape, size, and habit of life, 

 is more like the Siskin. It is five inches and a quarter in 

 length, of which the tail measures two inches and a quarter. 

 The beak is only four lines long, very pointed, and yellow ; the 

 feet are eight lines in height, and black. The top of the head 

 is bright crimson ; the upper part of the body dark brown, 

 spotted with white and dingy yellow ; the rump rose-colour ; 

 the throat is black ; the feathers of the lower part of the neck 

 and breast a light rose-colour, edged with white ; the rest of 

 the lower part of the body white. The wing coverts are dark 

 brown, the two larger rows being tipped with white, which 

 produces a double transverse stripe on the wings ; the lesser 

 wing coverts are tinged with dusky yellow ; the pen feathers 

 and tail are black. 



The plumage of the female is in general lighter in colour ; 

 except in very old birds, there is no trace of red upon either 

 the breast or the rump, and the whole upper part of the body, 

 as well as the breast, is spotted with white and dark brown. 

 The last-mentioned peculiarity distinguishes them from the 

 young birds, and males of one year old, on whose breast also 

 there is no red, but which have on the back the rusty yellow 

 colour of the full grown males. 



In confinement the male generally loses its red breast in the 

 first moulting, and in the second the red on the top of the head, 

 which becomes greenish yellow. I possess a male, in which 

 the top of the head assumed this colour, which it has pre- 

 served for six years, at the third moulting. 



Habitat. The Lesser Redpole is at home throughout Europe, 



s2 



