114 U. S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 217 



the two redpolls are more easily distinguished and I have then been 

 certain in observations of exilipes, but I have not identified any 

 flammea on the arctic tundra in winter. 



During his winter on the forested part of the Kobuk, Grinnell (1900) 

 found redpolls the only birds usually to be seen. His specimens of 

 -fiammea were usually taken from flocks of exilipes. In his collection 

 there were 104 specimens of exilipes and only 7 of flammea (p. 48). 

 In his checklist (p. 77) Grinnell remarked that flammnea was "common, 

 chiefly along the coast," a comment which, I believe must result from 

 his observations around Kotzebue Sound in summer. 



In mid-May 1949 small flocks began to appear near Tuluak and by 

 May 17 over 100 redpolls were reported daily by Thomas Brower. 

 The numbers then diminished and not more than six were seen 

 together after the end of May, Groups of five or six were occa- 

 sionally seen moving together after the others had begun nesting. 



A nest was reported building June 8, 1949, and fresh eggs were 

 collected between June 16 and 20. With the first two nests were female 

 birds identified as exilipes. Females were also collected and identified 

 from two nests in which the eggs on June 13 were too far incubated to 

 save. The others were named by sight, so that we have identification 

 for only four individual parents of exilipes found nesting. Nests with 

 4 eggs have been found on June 4, but incomplete clutches are common 

 until June 15. Nestling birds were found June 25, and on July 4 

 a family had left the nest. Young birds were flying July 19. The 

 nests were bulky constructions low in the willows and made of small 

 roots, twigs, grass, occasional moss, and lined principally with caribou 

 hair and a number of ptarmigan feathers. 



The following comments apply to exilipes^ but I cannot determine 

 whether they apply to -flammea as well. The Nunamiut said that red- 

 polls frequently have a second brood so late in the season that the young 

 birds are abandoned, starve and freeze. It was thought that parental 

 interest for their young was replaced in late summer by the desire 

 for flocking together and migration, so that the young were first aban- 

 doned and then froze after starving. On June 26 I have seen male 

 exilipes with testes of breeding size. At the same date I found a fresh 

 set of eggs of flammea which would probably have had time for normal 

 development of the young before cold weather. But a nest was then 

 near completion by redpolls which I called exilipes^ and I question 

 whether birds could mature from that set of eggs before cold weather 

 or the formation of flocks distracted the parents from family to 

 flock activities. 



On July 27, 1950, family groups were joining and numerous flocks 

 of 8 or 10 birds were seen. Thereafter at Anaktuvuk and from Au- 

 gust 3 to 15 in the Killik Valley loosely associated flocks were building 



