BRITISH BIRDS. 79 



trunk ; rather small ; composed of small twigs, grass, 

 moss, etc., lined with willow-down and a few feathers. 

 Eggs : 4 to 6 ; light bluish-green, spotted with pale 

 reddish-brown ; size '61 by "46. In winter roves in small 

 parties, usually feeding in the upper branches of birches, 

 etc. ; alarm note is a sharp, but not loud, bee-ing. 



96. Cannabina hornemanni (Holbcell). 



GREENLAND REDPOLL. 



Hab. Greenland and Eastern North America. 



A large-sized Mealy Redpoll, considered by Dr. Sharpe 

 to be a sub-species of A. exilipes, but American 

 ornithologists make A. hornemanni the type, and exilipes 

 its sub-species. A single specimen was shot in Durham 

 in 1855 as recorded by the late John Hancock. 



97. Cannabina flavirostris (Linn.). TWITE. 



Hab. N.W. Europe, north in Scandinavia to lat. 70. 



Male : feathers of crown, nape, mantle, and upper tail- 

 coverts dark brown with paler margins; rump suffused 

 with crimson ; wings dark brown, greater coverts and 

 most of quills having dull white outer margins ; tail 

 dusky-brown with dull white margins to the three outer 

 feathers on each side ; lores, chin and throat light rufous ; 

 breast and sides pale buff, streaked with dark brown; centre 

 of belly white ; bill light yellow ; iris hazel ; tarsi dusky- 

 brown. Length 5*25. Tail is distinctly longer than in the 

 Redpolls, and there is no crimson on head or breast. 

 Female : lacks crimson of rump ; greater coverts are 

 margined with pale brownish instead of white, and bill 

 is brown at tip and yellowish at base. 



A winter visitor to southern half of England, but breed- 

 ing commonly from Yorkshire northward to the Shetlands ; 

 also in most parts of Ireland. Frequents moorlands and 



